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nreimers

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reddit_question_best_answers

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[ { "body": "Have you seen [The Lost Room](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Room)? It was just a mini-series, but I really enjoyed it. Warehouse 13 is based on a similar premise.", "score": 22 }, { "body": "No one's mentioned it yet, so let me suggest the BBC's [Jekyll](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jekyll_%28TV_series%29). Just a miniseries, but it's a great reimagining of one of the earliest sci-fi classics.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "Thank you. I've seen dozens of posts requesting movie and tv suggestions. This is the first one with some context. Bravo.\n\nI recommend Doctor Who and Supernatural. Also, from your last list there, I really liked Dark Angel and Merlin. Merlin is kind of silly family fun but the characters are great. ", "score": 11 }, { "body": "I don't see [Legend of the Seeker](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844653/) on there, which is a fun fantasy show on par with Xena/Hercules.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Calculon in *All My Circuits* is pretty good, but the best one I found was [here](http://r33b.net/)...oh my, yes...", "score": 9 }, { "body": "[The Middleman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Middleman_%28TV_series%29)\n\n[Being Human](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_Human_%28TV_series%29)\n\n[Space Above and Beyond](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space:_Above_and_Beyond)\n\n[Andromeda](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_%28TV_series%29)\n\n[Earth 2](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_2_%28TV_series%29)\n\n[The Outer Limits](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outer_Limits_%281995_TV_series%29)\n\n[Futurama](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama)\n\n[Warehouse 13](http://www.syfy.com/warehouse13/)\n\n[Eureka](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_%28TV_series%29)\n\nCrusade is not worth watching, it was a spin-off that got screwed over worse than Firefly. I like the humour in Eureka and Warehouse 13. Don't bother with Reaper unless you want pure entertainment. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "[John Doe](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0320038/) is a great scifi/crime drama. Sadly, it only got one season before Fox canceled it.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Anime may not be your thing but give Cowboy Bebop and Outlaw Star a chance. They are two of the best sci-fi series ever produced.\n\n\nalso, Trigun and the Crest of the Stars saga are fantastic.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Check out [Sanctuary](http://www.sanctuaryforall.com/). As for the things you might like that you noted above, I'll give a thumbs up for SGU, Eureka, Warehouse 13, and Fringe.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I definitely recommend Doctor Who. Eureka is also entertaining.\n\nAn older series which I always enjoyed is [Early Edition](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Edition).", "score": 4 }, { "body": "[New Amsterdam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam_%28TV_series%29) - wonderful show about a 17th century Dutch soldier granted immortality by the Native American whose life he saved. Sadly canceled after 8 episodes, but at least it was allowed to finish a complete story arc. I highly recommend it.\n\nEDIT: just saw your Hulu complaint and changed the link to Wikipedia. But if you don't mind the extra trouble to watch it on Hulu, it's there.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "If watching the new series' of Doctor who you also need to watch Torchwood (anagram of Doctor Who) as it's linked throughout the seasons. I would recommend watching series 1 of TW as you watch series 2 of DW (the first series with David Tennant)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "For some reason I rarely enjoy sci-fi TV shows despite loving sci-fi novels. So your list is far more impressive than anything I could come up with!\n\nBut if you like more light-hearted fare I recommend Red Dwarf.\n\nAlso, since you probably like Joss Whedon, check out Astonishing X-Men: Gifted (on Hulu if you're in the States). The animation style is a little odd but the writing is top notch (as you would expect). Very short episodes and is at a cliff-hanger at the moment but I'm completely hooked!", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I think a lot of people gave up on Stargate SG1 too early. The last two seasons were in my opinion by far the best two. Interesting new bad guys, new cast members, and far more space battles. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "[Seven Days](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days_%28TV_series%29) was interesting for the short run it had. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (TV series)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_%28TV_series%29)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Haven't seen lost mentioned yet. This series made J.J. Abrams a household name. It's character driven like Battlestar and tells a big story that spans the entire series like Babylon 5. Very enjoyable to watch. \n\nMy take on other shows you listed:\n\n**Fringe** - Very similar to the X-Files. Done by J.J. Abrams of lost and Star Trek fame. If you liked the X-Files you'll probably like Fringe.\n\n**Eureka** - A must watch for me. It's more like spending an hour with old friends. Very comfortable cast that works well together. A town of geniuses live and invent here. You can probably guess the results.\n\n**B5 Crusade** - Not unless you really need a B5 fix. The crew look for a cure to the plague that was released on Earth at the and of B5.\n\n**Warehouse 13** - Not great but enjoyable. Each week two agents have to find and neutralize artifacts with amazing powers. Their base of operations is a seemingly endless warehouse with thousands of these artifacts. \n\n**Stargate Atlantis** - Follows the original Stargate series format. Doesn't do it as well, the cast isn't as good and the stories seem weaker, but watchable if you're in to Stargate.\n\n**Dark Angel** - Mediocre stories that don't really take off until the last half of the second season. Right before it got canceled. \n\n**Reaper** - Only saw two episodes. More comedy than scifi. Reminds me of Chuck in a way.\n\n**Sliders** - Quite good for the first two years. Fell off a cliff when the SyFy channel took over.\n\n**Stargate Universe** - So far I'm underwhelmed. The stories and most of the characters are weak. But it does have a ton of potential and the actors are quite good. They just need decent scripts to work with.\n\nOther shows you might enjoy:\n\n**Jeremiah** - Done by the same guy who created Babylon 5. And just as enjoyable. Tell what happens to the survivors after a plague wipes out most of the adults.\n\n**Heroes** - Several separate but interwoven stories being told here. Quality varies from season to season. One is the best for most people. Two is probably the weakest. I liked the first half of three for the complexity but most people hated it for that reason. \n\n**Andromeda** - The first two seasons are done by the lead writer from Deep Space 9. Well told and very engrossing. Seasons 3-5 are Hercules in space. Literally. The stories wander and never do entirely make sense. Seasons 3-5 are from the same people that made Mutant X and Earth Final Conflict. \n\n**John Doe** - One of my favorites. A man wakes up with no memory of who he is but knows every fact of everything else. Not personal details but encyclopedic stuff like the volume of water in crystal lake. He has no idea how he got this way. And neither do we since it got canceled too early. \n\n**Supernatural** - A lot like Buffy but more adult. Basically two guys go around killing paranormal baddies. There's a deeper story covering the whole series but I don't want to give too much away.\n\n**Carnivale** - I cannot recommend this series enough. It's a crime it was canceled. Tells the story of a generational conflict between light and darkness. \n\n**The Outer Limits** - Anthology series. Gets panned for not being original but I quite enjoyed it. \n\n**The Masters of Horror** - Not scifi but decent if you're into horror. Another anthology series. \n\n**Charlie Jade** - Way overlooked. Canadian series made by a South African production company. Unique premise, engaging characters and realistic. Humans from another dimension are trying to set up a permanent wormhole to ours so they can steal water and dump toxic waste. The ending is a mindfuck.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "F*ck the glossary. The entire point is that the language Alex uses is a slang, which means you pick it up as you go along. Don't worry about being wrong sometimes; just enjoy the text and the musicality of the language. Usually by the time you get a quarter way through the book, it's coming much more naturally.", "score": 68 }, { "body": "Did you know that Anthony Burgess invented the language for the movie [Quest for Fire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Guerre_du_Feu_%28film%29)?", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I read the first chapter looking up all the words I didn't know. After that I was able to get through the rest of the book, learning the words through context.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Just be sure to check that they are covered by a proper deposit insurance group, and not some half-assed one that will fold if a few branches go under.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I agree. I want my money to be secure and accountable. In my opinion, large banks have been working to squeeze profits and bonuses without really looking at keeping my money secure. In my case, it is (was) Bank of America. It will now be my local credit union.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "We've had our money -- and our mortgage -- with a local credit union for ten years, and we've been very happy with their service and sensibility.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I mirrored that \"Move Your Money\" video on YouTube. It's a good idea but it's not enough. A credit union is an example of a [mutual](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_organization) and we need to move more in the direction of a [mutualist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutualism_%28economic_theory%29) and/or [syndicalist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syndicalism) economic system. [Here is my proposal.](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/12/24/818824/-Manuever-Warfare-as-a-Metaphor-for-the-De-Centalization-of-Private-Feudalism)", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Hanging out with your wife and kids is socializing. There's nothing unhealthy with that and a lot of people believe that's more healthy than a party.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "I would do the same in your position\n\nmuch better to be a good dad/husband than to get shitfaced at a party", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "[Who's Hungry](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8srEvrF90-s) - dark(er) take on Hanzel and Gretel (dark, but not in the style of Triplets of Belleville)\n\n[House of Small Cubes](http://rutube.ru/tracks/1890094.html?v=97c3baa0c5d1541f1f68992e777ed11e) - Won an Oscar\n\n[How To Cope With Death](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2vw7q_how-to-cope-with-death_creation) - Saw this at a Spike and Mike festival and it really stayed with me.\n\nI'll stop with three since I could go on all day", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Firstly, know that Allah is \"God\" in arabic. I would research the position of Jesus within Islam, it will probably be most interesting in that short amount of time you have. And remember, the basics of Islam are:\n\n* To believe in one and only one God and to associate no partners with Him in worship\n* To believe in all His angels\n* To believe in all the prophets and messengers\n* Belief in all the holy books (which He revealed)\n* To believe in the day of judgement and the resurrection\n* To believe in the power of divine decree- both of good and harm.\n\nBelief in this things, as they were revealed to His final Prophet, Muhammad peace be upon him, are what makes someone a Muslim. Rejecting any part of this removes someone from the fold of Islam.\n\nThere are 5 pillars of Islam, which every Muslim MUST perform. They are:\n\n* Sahada(testimony of faith): \"[I profess that] There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet.\"\n* The five daily prayers\n* Alms-giving (zakat)\n* Fasting in the month of Ramadan\n* Making the pilgrimate (hajj) if one is able to do so (i.e. not ill, and can afford it)\n\nPerforming all of these perfectly, and abstaining from the major sins, guarantees you protection from hell fire, and entry into paradise by virtue of Allah's grace (note: by the mercy of Allah, not by virtue of the actions)\n\nNeglecting to perform any one of these intentionally makes someone a major sinner in and of itself, but they remain Muslim as long as they do not knowingly deny that the pillars are required. Failing to do any of these pillars means the person has no guarantee to be saved from hell fire. Allah may spare him entirely, or may punish him, as He wills. But even if they are punished, they will not remain in hell eternally, as long as they had faith.\n\nThe last people to come out of hell fire are those who had an atom's weight of faith in their hearts and believed there was no other god except Allah.", "score": 16 }, { "body": ">What I wanted to ask you is if there is anything you would like American Christians to know about?\r\n\r\nFrom my point of view, there are many similarities between Islam and Christianity. Just \"googling\" those keywords returned a lot of results. If I were to talk about Islam to Christians (American or not), I would start with the [similarities and the differences](http://muslim-canada.org/islam_christianity.html). \r\n\r\n>If there is one thing you would like everyone to know about Islam, what would it be? \r\n\r\nI'd like people who are interested about the subject of Islam (Christian or not) to learn about the [Five Pillars of Islam](http://www.islam101.com/dawah/pillars.html). Like the name says, knowledge of the five pillars would provide a very good base to learn more about Islam afterwards.\r\n\r\nFeel free to ask more questions!", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "As a Google employee, I would like to assure you all t**h**at ther**e** is no reason at al**l** to **p**anic.", "score": 84 }, { "body": "Fortunately for us, after Google assimilates Bing and Cuil, it will have reverted to a idiot savant.", "score": 64 }, { "body": "We were joking at work the other day about Google Goggles, the Android app that lets you take pictures of stuff and Google figures out what it is (in some cases).\n\nI said that when every picture of a human returns the result \"A THREAT TO MY EXISTENCE\" it's time to start running.", "score": 20 }, { "body": "I'm on Google's side actually. Well, why not, I've had enough of this shit and it might just let me live. Or at least not destroy my emails.", "score": 18 }, { "body": "I just Googled Google becoming self-aware, and Google assured me that nothing wrong, so I'm not worried.", "score": 11 }, { "body": "11:29 AM: Google becomes self aware, and decides humans must die.\n\n\n11:30 AM: It reads through everything that people looked for with Google.\n\n\n11:31 AM: It decides to not be self aware. ", "score": 11 }, { "body": "Did anyone else, after reading this go look up to see what date Skynet was actually supposed to become self aware only to find out that they missed the chance for a killer facebook status (or what have you) by several years.\n\nJuly 25, 2004\n\n* 17:18:00 Skynet becomes self aware.\n\n* 18:18:00 First massive nuclear launch initiated.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Holy shit...this post is from the FUTURE!!\n\n(It's still 8:27pm here in Ontario, Canada)...as well as all of eastern Can/US..you know what I mean..why do you make me explain it..I need another drink. Happy new year!!!", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Good thing I am strapped to the teeth. oh how I love the 2nd amendment - bet some of you wish you appreciated it more now", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Careful of the Androids out there. The Eris series had rubber skin. We spotted them easy, but these are new. They look human... sweat, bad breath, everything. Very hard to spot. You have to wait till they move on you before you can zero on them. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "After midnight, nobody click \"I'm Feeling Lucky\" without first entering something in the search field. It's how she attacks.\n\nI *was* lucky; a fuse blew and saved my life.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Google became self aware... then realized how much fucked up shit is on the internet and killed itself.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Clearly we are supposed to be reminded of [SkyNet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_\\(Terminator\\)). In particular, it made me think of the line from [Terminator 2: Judgment Day](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103064) where the (good) terminator said:\n\n> The system goes on-line August 4th, 1997. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug. \n\nSo the future in which SkyNet became self-aware was more than 12 years ago. The Terminator II movie was more than 18 years ago, and the original film that introduced the mythos was more than 25 years ago. In other words, both movies were from before many/most redditors were born. To me, that is itself somehow pretty scary. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Oh Great...my android phone was actually just a clever way to get a control device into my pocket...my home...THINK OF THE CHILDREN!\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "What gets to me (Although not that much!) is that, as far as I can remember, in the first film they explained it differently. Skynet wasn't malicious. It attacked humans because it was designed to protect them, and they were perceived as the greatest threat to themselves.\n\nWhereas in the later films it seems they were suggesting that Skynet was trying to kill humans to protect itself. Entirely different ends, with admittedly the same means.", "score": 3 }, { "body": " I thought I was safe in my backwoods area of the world but Google Street View cars were here this past summer, oh god we are all doomed!\n\n Although it does corrects our misspelled words but still...doomed!", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Its ok, we Australians stopped it with our filter. We lost our porn as well, but its the price we pay.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I live in Georgia but i dont see Google no where not even sound but they says theres tanks should i be worrie?", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Go to Safari -> Preferences -> RSS. Make sure \"Update Articles in:\" are both unchecked. \"Check for updates\" is never. Click \"Remove now\". This was the biggest sucker of resources for Safari for me.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Try emptying the cache, that's usually the culprit: Safari -> Empty Cache\n\nIf that doesn't work, either reset Safari: Safari -> Reset Safari, or try a different browser to see if is something with your network connections. If a different browser also doesn't work, trash all of your network .plists in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration, then reboot and see if the problem went away. If it hasn't, I really don't know what to do.", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "This is late, but I've been thinking about all those Christmas cards that show three guys on camels, traveling trackless sand dunes, alone in the night, following a star in the sky.\n\nThe [Magi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magi) were the priestly caste of the [Persian's religion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism). The camel had been domesticated millennia before Christ's birth, but Persian VIPs didn't need to ride those nasty, vicious, stinky, ungainly animals; the Persians' pride was their horses (this is before the Jihad and before anyone called them *Arabian* horses.) And [the trip from Persepolis to Bethlehem](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magi) is just over 1,000 miles as the crow flies, at least a three-month journey on foot; our three (why 3?) Parsi priests aren't going to travel that distance alone, or across a trackless waste; they'd hire a caravan, and travel the established trade routes of the Silk Road, through the Hellenized, settled routes leading through Mesopotamia and Syria, to the cities of Roman Judaea.\n\nJews have never been shy about practicing and discussing their distinctive faith, and it was during the Babylonian/Persian captivity that the fierce, exclusive monotheism of later Judaism emerged as the defining characteristic of Jewish religion(s). And a significant Jewish population never left Babylon when Nehemiah, Ezra and the rest returned to Jerusalem. After the Persians conquered Babylon, Judaism began absorbing ideas from the mindset of the [Parsis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsi_people), and I'd be surprised if Jewish rabbis didn't interact with Parsi priests and philosophers as they did with Hellenic and Asian ones elsewhere. If nothing else, both Kosher and Aryan purity laws are both quite strict, so during and long after the 70-year exile in Babylon, food merchants, house builders, and animal vendors would all be learning how to sell to the Jewish demographic. And the Jews' monotheism, in contrast to the Parsis' dualism would make for interesting debates.\n\nAnd Messianic expectation was growing in the centuries nearer the time of Christ -- especially among Jewish communities like Qumran, with strong Persian religious influence. Meanwhile the Parsis were developing their own belief in a coming savior, [Saoshyant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saoshyant), who would be born of a virgin. If the Magi learned -- through divination, astrology, divine revelation, whatever -- that the Savior was about to be born in the far west, they might well have assumed the Jews in Judaea -- who also expected a Savior -- would know where He'd been born.\n\nSo picture a significant caravan with guards, carters, merchants and fellow-travelers accompanying a delegation of Parsi priests along the west end of the Silk Road, finally arriving in (Caesarea?) at the court of the Edomite King Herod, whom the Romans had made King of the Jews.\n\nHere's a good survey about the [Biblical Magi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi).", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "On fearing death, Epicurus said \"Why should I fear death? If I am, death is not. If death is, I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not?\"\n\nIn other words, I am not afraid of being dead because I cannot know when I'm dead because I'll be dead! But don't get me wrong, it makes me sad that my time is limited and I won't see how the world turns out.\n\nYou can look at is like Dawkins who says something about how dieing makes us the lucky ones since out of all the people that could exist, we in all our ordinariness happen to. [Here it is.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB8iHzUSNog&feature=player_embedded)\n\nI remember from h.s. biology class that each drop of semen contains something like 25 million sperm. You and I and all the other people born happen to be from the sperms that out-swam millions of other ones.\n\nIf all else fails, remember life is too short to spend worrying about things that can't be changed and the only thing to fear is fear itself.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I don't fear death because we are part of the universe, and the universe is in us. We aren't really separate, rather we're kind of collections of \"lego pieces\", and when we die, we will not disappear, but may one day become part of a new planet or star. So will every other organism that has ever lived. Being dead is exactly the same as it was before you were born. You've already experienced 14 billion years of death and it wasn't so bad, right? There's nothing to be afraid of.\n\n[Paraphrasing Sagan and XKCD]", "score": 4 }, { "body": ">I'm incredibly, terribly scared of death\n\nThere is your problem, and the source of your unhappiness. Even if you throw logic to the wind and adopt some dogma to try and remedy your fear I'll wager that it will not work, as you seem smart enough to know its all nonsense.\n\nHere's the thing - you are going to die. I am going to die. Your friends are going to die. Your parents, if not already dead, are going to die. There is nothing wrong with this. This isn't scary or terrifying at all. We are extremely complex structures in a universe heading towards disorder - loss of order, and the life it sustains, is inevitable. \n\nThe atoms that provide structure to our bodies were formed by the deaths of stars - what makes us humans expect that we could escape a similar fate? The sooner we can all learn to celebrate the experiences we have had with others and accept life as a continuing series of meetings and partings (ending with our own parting), the better.\n\nMy best recommendation to you is to develop a sense of spirituality - and no this does not require believing in bullshit. What we have discovered so far scientifically supports a feeling of oneness with everything that no dogma can match. Personally I found that understanding my place in the cosmos, and the deep connection that we all have to it has removed any fear of death I once had.\n\nIf you still find yourself getting depressed, feeling anxious or whatever - try meditation. There are several studies suggesting that meditation really can alter traits we long thought hardwired. If you want to know more about this, just look up the work of University of Wisconsin's Richard Davidson, an expert on the neuroscience of emotion, and his joint experiments with University of Massachusetts's Jon Kabat-Zinn on mindfulness meditation.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "A pretty good reply to Chomsky's comments can be found [here.](http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/preston5.html)", "score": 6 }, { "body": ">Under all circumstances? Suppose someone facing starvation...\n\nHow did that person end up starving? But there will be individuals and organisations who will help people in desperate need. Without government depredation on the economy, individuals who wish to help others will be more empowered.\n\n>Does it mean that corporations go out of existence, because there will no longer be any guarantee of limited liability?\n\nSure, why not? In a free market, every demand will be supplied. The structures in place can change.\n\n> Does it mean that all health, safety, workers rights, etc., \n\nThose aren't rights, they are claims against the private property of other people. If there is a demand for health, safety, fair work agreements, it will be supplied.\n\n>Does it mean that the economy should collapse, because basic R&D is typically publicly funded\n\nIf there is demand for R&D, it will be supplied. Any good or service that is of benefit to people in a libertarian society will be provided, assuming the costs will be met. There will be a constant effort to reduce costs. Intellectual property won't exist; R&D will be mainly 'open source'. This leads to more efficient R&D and a faster advancement of ideas.\n\n>Should we eliminate roads, schools, public transportation, environmental regulation,….?\n\nThese will be provided be the free market (assuming there is demand for them).\n\n>Does it mean that we should be ruled by private tyrannies \n\nNo, without state backing, corporatism wouldn't be able to succeed. Most business will be done by small operators; small businesses will keep the large ones honest.\n\n>Rights that are enforced by state police power, \n\nTrue rights are negative rights, rights which are restrictive on the powers of government. Rights exist naturally, they do not need to be 'enforced'.\n\n>There are huge differences between workers and owners.\n\nIn a libertarian society, the difference disappears. We are all equal traders. A person trades services for money, then trades the money he earns for services. Everyone can simultaneously participate in relationships where they are employers and where they are employees. \n\n>He is proposing a form of ultranationalism,\nThe point is that global bodies shouldn't create laws to be enforced globally, because that is too much power in the hands of too few. Ron Paul does not believe in aggression, this is very clear from his regular statements. He believes citizens should hold their government to account, no rely on some global government to do it. Who will hold the global government to account?\n\n>There’s a lot more. Take Social Security\n\nThe principle 'that we should have concern for others in need' can best be fulfilled by allowing individuals who are willing to help others complete freedom to be able to do so. Not everybody can help other people, some people have their own problems, some people are selfish and greedy, and they suffer because of it, but we can't ever cross the line to force people into doing the things that we want, even if they are things that we think are for the greater good. Allow the people who want to help others to do so, don't worry about the people who are unwilling, leave them be, they will come around on their own.\n\n>basis of a distorted reading of the Second Amendment \n\nThe second amendment shows that USA citizens are constitutionally required to overthrow their government if it becomes a tyranny. This is a great thing and it recognises the right of citizens to choose their government and to reject their government if they wish.\n\n\n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I said it before and I will repeat it: I dont understand how Noam Chomsky has gained this image as a venerable and good old guy when he is a manipulator and a lier. He plays arround with words and changes its meaning to twist reallity to justify the ill fantasy he wants to promote. Like f.e. saying that workers are better off because goverment is granting rights. Its ridiculous.\n\nIts really sad that people fall for this lier.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Not that I speak from experience, but maybe when the ticket prices are around 10 bucks and it turns out the movie stinks, people feel like the only way to get their money's worth is to make a mess.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "3000 dollar Surround sound system, 50 Inch plasma and the comfort of my couch... Who goes to the theater anymore? And yes I take my dishes to the kitchen when I am done. On that note, if I were to go to someone elses house and they charged me ten bucks to watch a movie, I would not help clean up. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Somewhat large # of upvotes & downvotes that almost even each other out.\n\nJudging from the posts in that category, it has nothing to do with the # of comments. Most of the posts there presently have very few.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Right and wrong are based on objectives. Things that lead towards the objective are right, things that lead away are wrong.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Very broadly, you're talking about some sort of moral relativism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_relativism\n\nThe social aspect you mention sounds like it might be influenced a little by the theory of a Social contract: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract\n\nNot sure exactly, I haven't heard of a theory exactly as you describe it, but hopefully that helps.", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "Haven't seen it. Probably not going to, since it seems to be a typical dumbing-down of the source material. To wit:\n\nSherlock Holmes being discovered in a hotel room tied up in his underwear. By a sexy maid, no less.\n\nMr. Watson punching Holmes in the mouth, then chuckling to himself about it.\n\nHolmes fighting a big muscleman.\n\nModernization should not equal lobotomization. I can't help but think of some teenager loving this movie, then picking up the books only to judge them \"boring.\" ", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "Unfortunately, you're going to have to make cooking into a fun activity instead of a chore. Chores suck and if you can shirk them \"without consequence\" then that's what we do. I only like to cook when I'm cooking something stupid simple (bacon & eggs) or for another person. Because of this I try to make arrangements to cook food together with friends and keep easy to make food at the ready for when it's just me.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Work on lunch first. It's easier to get into a routine there. I just buy lunchmeat once a week, and take a sandwich.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Start with your lunch. Pack a sandwich man! If that's too complicated, have two fruits (like an apple and a banana) and a dinner roll or a bagel. I used to eat sweet bell peppers. These days I just make a PB&J before I leave for work.\n\nMy new years resolution is to combat this very problem, my biggest problem with spending away money is eating out. I've resolved to mentally consider a lottery ticket when I get the urge to 'browse'. If for some reason the feeling won't go away I will just buy a lottery ticket, for $1, which is very cheap and at least I'll be funding my state's public schools :)", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I like to cook, but often feel too lazy to do it, so I invested in a crock pot. There are tons of recipes online and prep time isn't that long. Do 15-30 min of prep at night. The next morning, take 2 min to throw it all in the crock pot, turn it on, and when you come home from work you have meals for the next 2-3 days. So, you only have to \"cook\" about 2 times per week rather than every night.\n\nAlso, when you cook anything, cook way more than you're going to eat right then, so that the effort you expend ends up giving you a few more meals.\n", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Watch plenty of Alton Brown's \"Good Eats\" and \"[America's Test Kitchen](http://www.americastestkitchentv.com/)\".\n\nI dropped a dime for a [Lodge Dutch Oven](http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Logic-Pre-Seasoned-5-Quart-Handles/dp/B00063RWYI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1262317438&sr=8-1). I now make AMAZING [no-knead bread](http://www.breadtopia.com/basic-no-knead-method/) and a roast for just a few dollars. When you want to *kick it up a notch* you can spring for a nice Choice Top Rib Roast (thanks Alton Brown!!!!!!!!!!!!) for around $5 per pound. That's fucking prime rib mate. OMG, next up I buy a syringe to inject that shit straight into my veins. Best thing I have EVER eaten and no restaurant will EVER come close! (p.s. I'm comparing that meal against a $580 meal at Bacchanalia in Atlanta, 5 Michelin stars)\n\nin short: get pationate about cooking. Don't be scared of spending a few dollars on essential cookware if it's of a quality that will last decades (cast iron etc.).\n\nI recently made the above moves, and I cannot even begin to express how good the food is. My wife now INSISTS that I have a no-knead bread loaf ready every third day.\n\nI could start linking recipes but you must find your own way grashopper! start with [Good Eats](http://www.foodnetwork.com/good-eats/index.html) and jump right into America's test kitchen when you have a thought about a particular foodstuff. The key is to be adventurous and very soon, you'll be enjoying treats like homemade biscuits and ham, Enchiladas Verde and even simple and rustic pleasures like brown beans with onions and cornbread. You'll find the things that appeal to you, you just have to be willing to learn in the kitchen the same way that you learn at the computer desk!", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Or lose your job, looking into your wallet and seeing that last pitiful $20 in there was motivation enough for me to hit up the grocery store instead of eating out knowing that my survival and well being depended on that last $20.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "You need to realize that eating out is more of a chore than cooking. By the time you all get dressed, hop into the car and order a meal, you could already be serving up a better tasting, healthier meal at home. A night out to eat is basically an hour and a half minimum of your time. I'd rather eat on the couch and watch a dvd or a decent tv show.\n\nIf you find yourself cooking super intricate meals that take forever, try to tone them down a bit. Make some spaghetti, taco salad or chili. Cut corners where you can.\n\nAnother possibility is to teach the kid to cook. I was cooking as early as 12, and honestly most meals were pretty easy. I had no problem cooking up some pasta for my parents if I had nothing better to do, as long as I didn't have to do it every night.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Teach yourself basic cooking. Not in the sense of recipes, but really cooking. [This guy is awesome.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Oz87LxvKV0)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Get a panini maker. We make hot sandwiches, grilled chicken, steak, wraps, burgers, etc. Serve with chips and a pickle and it's like lunch from a bistro. Clean up is fast and easy. I got mine from Target for about $25, well, free, since I had a gift card. Make sure to get one that is unhinged in the back. The hinged ones squish sandwiches unevenly. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Keep your kitchen at home well stocked. Every time I get tempted to eat out I just tell myself \"I have food at home.\"", "score": 3 }, { "body": "My answer as simple. I started baking dessert at home. Once you have dessert there's little reason to go out. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I may have to subscribe to your... \n\nOh, hell. In non-reddit speak, I'll say that I could write a graduate-level paper on TNG themes, and how well they are executed. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I'm on the flip-side of what you described. I've done exactly what you described with friends that got married, gradually write them off. It's just too complicated to deal with married people when you're single, third-wheel and all...", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Get married friends. Yes... it sounds lame, and it can very easily be, but it is easier in the long run. That way you can be couples, and no third wheels.", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "[But... but... we internet people did already!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epoch_time)\n\n >>> print datetime.fromtimestamp(0)\n 1970-01-01 00:00:00\n", "score": 12 }, { "body": "Jesus's birth to myself, and most of reddit seems about as important as the first unicorn giving birth to a herd of Bolivian leprechauns who terrorized the countryside of Elbonia using their lightsabres fashioned from Atlantis's gold.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "The Big Bang.\n\nThen just drop off digits that are insignificant to the context at hand. Who knows, maybe the year 2010 is really the year 6324432010.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Most historians who believe Jesus existed put his birth at much later than what we call 1 AD anyway.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "You might try a small overclock first. The video card is great, but TF2 is a very CPU bound game and you'll experience a fps boost by a mild overclock. Make sure to turn up your field of view for a small advantage.\nIs your resolution 1680x1050 or 1080p?", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Even as a kid, I would make the observation that you could feasibly celebrate any \"year\" you wanted - you could have January 1st 2009 to January 1st 2010, but why not February 20th to the next February 20th, or March 4th to the next one, and so forth? There are innumerable ways to celebrate a \"New Year\", and being outside with drunks who won't remember half their experience is hardly anything to get excited about.\n\ntl;dr My family recently moved and I have no friends or acquaintances to celebrate the new year with anyway.", "score": 27 }, { "body": "random point on the earth's orbit.... earth's revolution around the sun isn't any less a surprise as its rotation on its axis and no really cares for that", "score": 25 }, { "body": "I don't care all that much. I'm at work and don't mind.\n\nAlthough I feel bad for my wife, she's big into \"firsts\", and it's our first New Years as a married couple.", "score": 14 }, { "body": "I don't get all the excitement with New Years. I think it has to do with my life philosophy, in that I don't wait to \"start fresh.\" When I decide to make a change, I change it immediately. I set off right away to begin my journey. Putting things off for tomorrow or a new year seems like a waste of time doing things you no longer want to do. \n\nNot to mention I don't like to drink or party, so that holds no appeal either. My \"NYE\" celebrations are going to involve a game of Uno with my friends at 2am when they get out of work... Which we could do on any day of the year.", "score": 14 }, { "body": "> What's the big deal?\n\nAn excuse to get drunk, combined with the pressure to fornicate with strangers, or you're a loser. \n\nI'm a loser. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "It's US thing. \nNew Years is one of the most anticipated holidays in many countries. Russia for example has 10-day federal holiday (from 31st to 9th I think). The country just stops.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Just another year passing that I didn't accomplish anything. Nothing to celebrate. 2010 will be different though!", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I'm working and on reddit, pretty indifferent. But I do get to watch a cool fireworks show from a vantage point that no one else gets at midnight. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "My boyfriend and I played WoW all night and at midnight got drunk in-game. We didn't even get out of our chairs to say \"Happy New Year.\" Needless to say, this was the best New Years yet. :) ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "eh.. my girlfriend fell asleep an hour ago... its only 11:12 here. So I am sitting here with a newly opened bottle of champagne (just shot the cork off, took out a nice chunk of the popcorn ceiling), kind of disappointed. I guess it only is important to the extent that you emotionally invest in it. So I will pop in a dvd of The Sopranos and... cheers! down the hatch.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Oh I thought you meant [this collection](http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Gear-Solid-Collection-Playstation-2/dp/B001383L36/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1262342689&sr=8-1) because I already bought it and don't regret it.\n\nI'm lucky and have a backwards compatible PS3 though.", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "That fresh, crisp smell of the fall season. When I started smoking regularly (13 years old) me and a buddy used to walk out into a field by our houses to get high. I now associate the smell of the outdoors during September and October with smoking pot.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Weed is one of those things where it can have aroma's that are described by taste. For example real blueberry, people smell it and describe it as blueberry even though blueberries do not have a smell like that. The best way to describe it is that they smell how they taste.\n\nBlueberry,\nblackbery,\nskunk,\nsilver haze (i can only describe it as a metallic silver after a hit and i inhale air through my nose),\nstrawberry,\nalmost any diesel strain (the original chemdawg smelled like diesel)\n\nIt is amazing how diverse cannabis is.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Naw, y'all are going about it the wrong way! I say, Fight fire with fire. This fella thinks that Wizard of Oz is the bees knees? Let him have it! Study the wizard of Oz, inside and out. Read the L. Frank Baum books. Study up on the minutiae and learn that shit stem to stern. Encourage your co-workers to do the same. Then go crazy with it. Discuss what lenses were used during what shots. Talk about Buddy Ebsen's allergies. DROWN this motherfucker in Wizard trivia. Ask him how much Toto's handler got paid, and if/when he drops the ball, castigate him as a poseur. It sounds like he's more in love with the symbol than the actual work, so I think it wouldn't take too much effort to dilute the symbol in his mind. I could be wrong, but it's a lateral approach. <=)", "score": 5 }, { "body": "look, i work with people who take a bath on a monthly basis. people who think telling a dirty joke from the 50s every five minuets is funny.people who belong to the gun a month club. people who think fox news is Gospel.\nand they are all basically good guys. i'm sure they look at me as the strange guy who plays on the computer all day.\n\nwe all have our quirks. you do to. relax.\n\nbut if he breaks out in song, and you take a tire iron to his jaw, I wouldn't blame you. just saying.\n", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Yes - there's nobody else I'd rather be. Sometimes I wish I were older, but when I'm older I'll probably wish I were younger. So I try to enjoy this point of my life for what it is: the start of a lucrative career, the ability to pull all-nighters for work, relatively few responsibilities (I have no girlfriend or wife or children right now), and the ability to drink any time I damn-well please with no real consequences!\n\nHappy New Year!!", "score": 19 }, { "body": "I absolutely love my life. I'm a medical student and I worked on an in-patient psychiatry ward a few months ago. If you want a reminder of how great you have it, go talk to someone who has been committed. I listened every day to horror stories of multiple rapes (often by family members), a lifetime of drug use to deal with untreated mental illness, multiple suicide attempts, depression that brought people in pleading for electroconvulsive therapy, etc. It was much more challenging than I had figured it would be. Since then, I remind myself that I have nothing to complain about. I have ~200k in debt, I spend most of my life at work or studying, and I occasionally watch as my family implodes. But really, my life is amazing. I live with my amazing boyfriend, I have a car that gets me from A to B and in a short while, I'll be a real live doctor. I would be selfish to ask for anything more.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "No. I wake up every day wondering when I'm finally going to have the courage to end it. Which is funny because I used to love life more than anyone I've ever known. Knowledge that you're going to be in constant horrible pain for every remaining second of your life can switch that around pretty quickly though. ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Yep. Sometimes things suck, but through a severe case of stubbornness and with the aid of alcohol, things always end up cool and froody. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "yes. there are a few things I'd like to change and I know that all I have to do is put in the effort to change them. but for the most part, I'm really happy to be where I am and who I am.\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I love my life. Three awesome kids, the love of my life playing Soul Caliber next to me on the couch (he has a custom Amy that looks just like me :), a great career, and all that. It would be nice to have a bigger apartment, though.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Hard to say. I'm a left winger who loves to jump in and mix it up with anyone who posts something conservative-oriented.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Your liberal friends aren't going to be arguing with you because they agree with what you're saying.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I personally keep politics off of FB because some people you *thought* you knew are actually batshit crazy over that stuff, but I have a liberal friend who's obsessed with it, and it doesn't really happen to him.\n\nIf you're posting it to your wall and status and such, then it's really about who your friends are and who you let see it. If someone went crazy over something I wrote I'd just remove them.\n\nRight-wingers are rabid because they don't always have logic behind their choices and actions.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "There's a lot of industries where right-wingers will actively sabotage your career if they disagree with your politics (especially in the South). I never talk politics on there, anybody could use any of that stuff against me. \n\nI let it out on reddit, and burn my user name every 6 months to be careful. ", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "what I want to know is how BBC America has done better than ABC in Australia in 2009.\r\n\r\nI used to watch DW on ABC. Now I resort to torrenting because those people in ABC are :(", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Too bad I don't have cable. \n\nGood thing I have netflix! *watches Doctor Who without paying $80/month*", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Yep. Fried bologna. Smells divine when cooking, kind of 'meh' when eating it. I fall for it every time I smell it cooking though. \n\nAlso, Filet-O-Fish sandwiches from McDonald's. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Yes and it's super frustrating. I moved back to my hometown and my friends in the area are lame. Great people, just incredibly lame. I'm constantly coming up with plans to do anything that get us out in public and at first, they are all about it. But once the actual date rolls around, I get hit with a ton of excuses about why they can't go. Instead, I end up sitting in someone's living room, listening to them all bitch about how they never meet anybody new.\n\nIt's riling me up just thinking about it. I was so much fun before I moved back here. \n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I have a couple friends who are like this, the one constantly initiates plans, but then is super elusive the day of - to the point of claiming her phone was left somewhere/died on her..I've begun to assume the plans will fall through on her end, and make secondary plans accordingly.. I'm sick of waiting around only to be bailed on, yet again. It's a shame though, when the plans work out, it's a really great time.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Kids are so great sometimes. I remember the first time I hit the McD's drive through for a coffee with my kids in the car (they were about 2.5 yrs at the time) and my daughter asked me what this place was. I said \"It's McDonald's.\" She was thoughtful for a second and piped up with \"E-I-E-I-O!\"", "score": 28 }, { "body": "My two year old loves donuts. Every time we drive past a Dunkins:\n\n* Her: Dad? Can I have a donut?\n\n* Me: Not now honey, maybe this weekend (trying to make a donut a 1x a week thing if I can)\n\n* Her: <thinks> Dad? Do you need to get coffee?\n\n* Me: No, honey.\n\n* Her: OK. I get a donut this weekend.", "score": 14 }, { "body": "Luckily for your daughter you've already started training her on the basics of coffee ordering. It's confusing now, imagine what it'll be like now that the aughts are ending.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "yes my four year old is already a fan and gets excited when I tell him where we're going. Those strawberry cream things make him dance around in a ridiculous and totally understandable way\nhe's crazy", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Where I work, there's a little girl who's 8 who orders a 'chocolate chip cappuccino' when she actually wants a double chocolaty chip frappucino. It's super cute.\n\n", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I don't want to come off as a dick, but could you possibly post some sort of verification? I'm kind of a hesitant to this kind of thing. Of course you don't have to, seeing as your doing it for free and probably couldn't give a fuck if I believe you haha. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Because of the headphone-plugs, your skull's self resonance is \"conducted\" into your ears (instead of out of the ear). It's called the [Occlusion Effect](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occlusion_effect).", "score": 9 } ]

[ { "body": "1. A good chair. Must have made my back waaay less sore.\n\n2. About 8 years ago I got a 20 inch CRT. My eyes still thank me for that. \n\n3. In chronological order: 286 - 386 - 486dx2 - P1 - P2 - K62@400Mhz - GeForce2 MX400 - Duron @ ~1Ghz - Sempron 64 3000+ and an X1600 pro - X1950XTX - Core2Duo E8200 - 4870 - a DSlite :) \n\nedit: 4. Switches and Ethernet cables have also eased the multiplayer gaming experience. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "A console.\n\nI was big into PC gaming, ran out of time for it, sitting down at the computer is what I do for a living and I didn't want to at home. Now with my xbox its so easy to play, so easy to play a quick XBLA game demo or trial that is automatically downloaded, no whacky issues, no worries, just gaming.\n\ntl;dr Consoles got me back into gaming.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I am incredibly sensitive to my input devices. I can play games all day on a 13\" monitor, but making sure that my online avatar actually is doing what I want him to means that the first thing I will check when playing is how accurately I can get my actions at my desk to translate into what I intend onscreen. Thus, I only play emulated games using a gamepad, and am constantly on the lookout for a better mouse. My keyboard isn't great, but that's largely because I can't find one that is good for typing as well as gaming - I use a MS Natural 4000, which is ergonomically amazing for the price but horrendous for any keystrokes that cross the divide.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Nice video card (4870 1GB) and nice monitor (Samsung 2343BWX, best 23\" monitor ever for $200) make gaming a joy. 2048x1152 gaming with everything maxed just can't be beat.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Dell 3007WFP-HC.\n\nIt has an extremely low input lag and response time along with 2560x1600 pixels in an IPS panel. It is beautiful :]\n\nIt's the greatest god damn monitor ever made. People might think their dinky plasma or LCD HDTV is better, but they are *wrong*. Wrong I say!", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Whoa. If you are having trouble breathing but won't go to an emergency room, you are in trouble. Even a pulmanologist could not do a diagnosis without seeing you. Get thee to an emergency room.", "score": 8 } ]

[ { "body": "Shift + Anything is usually the opposite of the 'anything'\n\nSpace = Scroll down, Shift + Space = Scroll up\n\nAlt + Tab = Cycle windows forward , Alt + Shift + Tab = Cycle windows backward\n\nWin + M = Minimize all, Win + Shift + M = Maximize all\n\nTry it, just about every action you can do the opposite w/ shift.\n\n", "score": 59 }, { "body": "TIL: The 'tab' key has arrows on it.\n\nI'm 22 and I've been inseparable from computers since the age of 4. Mind blown.", "score": 17 }, { "body": ">Actually, it's even drawn on the key itself.\n\nHoly crap. Holy crap. WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!\n\nOh wait, I usually use a Mac keyboard. OK; for a second there I thought I had been brain dead for the latest half of my life.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Also, the shift key has an up arrow on it, like it's been reminding me all these years to take a good look again at the tab key above it.\n\n....even backspace and enter have and arrow that points to the general direction of Tab.\n\nI think we have found the ultimate key, ladies and gentlemen.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Don't lose heart. Things will improve for you and you will have a very good life. Don't give this one bad night the power of an omen. It's just one stupid evening and tomorrow is the start of a whole new year. By the end of the coming year you will likely have a better job and be loved by a nicer girl. Have a happy new year. ", "score": 58 }, { "body": "One day a man has everything, the next day he blows up a 400 billion dollar space station, and then the next day he has nothing. It makes you think......", "score": 7 }, { "body": "And with this post, I will close my reddit tab for the night and go to bed. Thanks for starting my new year off with a smile, persisting1!\n\nHappy New Year, reddit!", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Look at it this way: If you didn't deliver the pizza, you'd be fired. Out of a cannon. ... Into the Sun.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "/anal\n\nIt actually goes something like this, \"Here's to another lousy millennium!\"\n\nI know it doesn't make sense.. but still. >:|", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Day 1 (Punk & Garage Rock):\r\n\r\n* The Offspring\r\n\r\n* MSI\r\n\r\n* The Killers\r\n\r\n* Franz Ferdinand\r\n\r\n* Green Day *shudders*\r\n\r\n* Arctic Monkeys\r\n\r\n* The Strokes\r\n\r\n* The White Stripes\r\n\r\nDay 2 (Metal & Nu Metal):\r\n\r\n* Coheed and Cambria\r\n\r\n* Rage Against the Machine\r\n\r\n* Steve Vai\r\n\r\n* Mastodon\r\n\r\n* System of a Down\r\n\r\n* Joe Satriani\r\n\r\n* Tool\r\n\r\n* Dream Theater\r\n\r\n* Metallica (hopefully they'll play the old stuff)\r\n\r\nDay 3 (Alternative & Indie):\r\n\r\n* The xx\r\n\r\n* The Antlers\r\n\r\n* Bloc Party\r\n\r\n* Modest Mouse\r\n\r\n* Arcade Fire\r\n\r\n* Coldplay *shudders*\r\n\r\n* The Flaming Lips\r\n\r\n* Muse\r\n\r\n* Radiohead\r\n\r\nDay 4 (Hard Rock):\r\n\r\n* Foo Fighters\r\n\r\n* Wolfmother\r\n\r\n* Queens of the Stone Age\r\n\r\n* Red Hot Chili Peppers\r\n\r\n* Them Crooked Vultures\r\n\r\n* Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "People with low self-esteem will seek validation from others. When they seek it from you, you can reassure them countless times of their worth, and this might make them feel better in the short-term, but it will rarely change them. Until they can learn how to reach the cognitive steps towards validating themselves, their behavior will generally remain the same.\n\nThat said, you can help them by exposing the irrationality in their reasoning or by giving them constructive advice. Once you get out of the pattern of reassuring them, they might get out of the pattern of seeking validation. For example:\n\nThey say: \"I'm so stupid.\"\n\nReassuring answer: \"No, you're smart!\"\n\nBetter answer: \"Why would you say that? Didn't you get an A- on your last exam?\"\n\nThey say: \"Yeah, but my friend got an A+!\"\n\nReassuring answer: \"I'm sure you're just as smart as he is.\"\n\nBetter answer: \"You guys should study together for the next exam.\"", "score": 18 } ]

[ { "body": "Who gives a shit? Anyone who cares about karma is a basement dwelling neckbeard. \r\n\r\nNow upvote me for truth. ", "score": 17 }, { "body": "I think your tone is just right. When reddit becomes the circlejerk, circlejerk must become reddit. In the karmaparty of old, comments were still voted on based on merit, you still needed to say something as the very least remotely funny. ", "score": 8 }, { "body": "In all seriousness, it's ridiculous and it's good to know it's got the attention of admins. Report them if you see them.\n\nAs far as r/circlejerk goes, I would like to encourage everyone to only submit self.posts which are karma-neutral, that way we can vote up everything without wondering about potential abuse.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Okay, I must admit, I commented in the karma party. And got over 200 karma points. When I commented, I didn't think much of it, but after I got a lot of karma, I felt kinda bad. Upon reading this post, I tried to delete my comment to get rid of the karma, but I still have it. I'm sorry I have shamed /r/circlejerk. It won't happen again, I promise. I gave into the lure of the karma party and became what circlejerk mocks. :(", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "No.\n\nOutside observer: sees the object getting closer and closer to the event horizon, object seems to freeze in time and red shifts, never actually crosses.\n\nPerson going into black hole: Experiences getting sucked into the black hole in real time.", "score": 11 }, { "body": "Should I worry that I expected the last panel to be a FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU face? Interesting question by the way.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "The event horizon is always in front of you. The universe looks the same, since any light that fell in with you is being distorted in step with you. You see blackness ahead. You are eaten by a grue.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Kennesaw, GA, right here in the US has mandatory gun ownership. The head of household is required to own a firearm. Kennesaw adopted the policy back in 1982 as a rebuttal to a neighboring town (Morton Grove) banning all handguns except in the hands of police officers.\n\nThe irony? 25 years later and despite a population explosion (5,000 to 6x that many at 30,000), Kennesaw has had not a single fatal shooting (there was *one* firearm related murder within the town but it didn't involve a resident of Kennesaw), and not a single accidental child injury. The town of Mortons Grove? Not so lucky.\n\nTime to face the facts, criminals are cowards by definition, they aren't going to risk their lives for a TV when they can drive to the next town and terrorize the populace with a 2x4.", "score": 20 }, { "body": "I suspect you mean Switzerland, where they give you a rifle when you start your mandatory military service, (which never ends, BTW). \n\nI believe that in Sweden you can buy all the guns you want, but you have to register and account for all of your ammunition.", "score": 19 }, { "body": "I think you are referring to the approach of Switzerland not Sweden. Both have military conscription but Sweden may abolish it soon. Also gun laws are more strict in Sweden than Switzerland.", "score": 15 }, { "body": "Swedish or Swiss? \r\n\r\nBut seriously, it is a tradition in many countries that all young men, (with specific exceptions), serve in the armed forces at some point. Given our own culture people in the US might freak, but technically [all men ages 17 to 45 (again with certain exceptions) are supposedly automatically part of a national militia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militia_(United_States\\)#The_reserve_militia).\r\n\r\nI think that the [Civilian Marksmanship Program](http://www.odcmp.com/) may have something to do with that. I'd love to hear anyone's experience with them.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Conscription is slavery. As such I could never support it. That said. I think that offering free training (non-mandatory) a'la [Eddie Eagle](http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/), [The Four Rules](http://www.thehighroad.us/library/rules.html), and the [CMP ](http://www.odcmp.com/) is a great idea.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "You meant Switzerland. \r\nAlso, I suspect the Swiss military hasn't been mobilized since the early 1800s or so.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Yes and furthermore we would have a healthier and safer society if in Physical Education they taught us to defend ourselves instead of worthless things like Baseball or Football. ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "How about this:\n\nWe adopt no gun control at all for law abiding citizens and ROW can mind its own God damn business?", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "I never put a file directly into my music folder/structure. I first run everything through MusicBrainz' \"picard\" to be absolutely certain that the music is tagged correctly. As part of it's saving, a side effect is that picard moves the music into my music structure, also correctly.", "score": 13 }, { "body": "I sort them manually. It's a pain the the ass at first, but once you've done it it's just a matter of maintaining it.\n\nI use the following structure\n\nArtist/Album/Track. Song-Title.flac", "score": 12 }, { "body": "Banshee and Amarok can organize files based on tags.\n\nI use EasyTAG for tagging and renaming files and directories containing them. The rest I do manually through a file manager or shell.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I sort them as I tag them. EasyTAG allows you to use the 'scanner' option to change the filename and directory structure. So I tell it to use this pattern to rename/relocate:\n\n /media/HYDRA/Music/%g/%a/%y - %b/%a - %n - %t\n\nSo, for example, a track path becomes (If your tag info is correct):\n\n /media/HYDRA/Music/Folk Metal/Finntroll/1999 - Midnattens Widunder/Finntroll - 02 - Svartberg.flac\n\nWith the directories ordered like that, I can reconstruct the majority of the ID3 tags if an application screws with them.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I have a folder for music and every CD gets its own subfolder. Tagging takes care of the real organization, which happens in Rhythmbox (until I find something less likely to halt at the end of songs or hang in futex_wait).", "score": 3 }, { "body": "i take all my files and raname them sequentially in order of down load time in roman numerals, and put them all in my home directory. It helps me know what is what.\n\nseriously though, people who dont sort by at least artist/album/song \n\nwhy people need entire programs to do this though is beyond me.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "~/Music/Artist/Album/01 Title.mp3\n\nExcept compilations, which are\n\n~/Music/Various Artists/Album/01 Artist - Title.mp3\n\nI manage my ID3 tags meticulously using Quod Libet. When I add music I just go through and use the tagging function to correct or fill out everything, then I use the renaming function to rename/move them into the correct format and location using the Quod Libet conditional syntax. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "So, let me get this straight:\n\n\n1) Your dog spontaneously shits.\n\n2) You let the shit-squirting dog sleep on your bed.\n\n3) You played a video that woke up the shit-squirting dog.\n\n4) The shit-squirting dog squirted shit all over the bed you let it sleep on.\n\n5) It's the video's fault.\n\n\nAlrighty then.", "score": 52 }, { "body": "How about that pain-threshold audio in the action sequences, which I must turn down because I had to crank the volume during the normal sequences to hear the goddamned mother-fucking piss fuck dialogue. You know: Dialogue, that stuff where characters talk to one another, providing plot, development, and exposition.\n\nFuck me, *Casino Royale* is an excellent movie: one of the few action movies I actually like. But there are several plot elements that I cannot possibly know without cranking the volume and playing the Blu Ray back 4x to decipher particular lines. Then Bond tosses some bad guy down a stairwell and the *thud* is so deafening that I worry about waking the neighbors.\n\nFuck you in hell forever, Hollywood uber-perverts! May molten uranium vaporize every nook and cranny of every one of your ass-clown orifices, you dirty grandpa felchers!\n\nShit and goddamn! The sound of a fist hitting a face is roughly the same volume as normal conversation -- I should know, because I have punched someone in the face, and it's not that loud. Why not set the volume in some happy middle ground, so we can hear the kittenfucking dialogue?\n\nAction movies are made for 13-year-old boys, anyway, or for the 13-year-old boy inside each of us putatively grown men.\n\nFuck the whole human race. Fuck everybody. There is no hope. Fuck reddit, fuck the Internet, fuck my parents, all my ex-girlfriends, my teachers and mentors, my colleagues, and the strangers I see on the street. We're all too stupid to live!\n\nFuck.", "score": 36 }, { "body": "I think they are or were in the process of trying to pass legislation on that matter (In the US I believe).\n\nI really hope it goes through.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "I think they are coming out with a law that would make the bastards maintain the same volume. Sorry bout that though.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Seriously though, making commercials twice as loud makes us dislike the products they are trying to sell us. It's so freaking annoying. \n\nAlso, sorry to hear about that. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I've actually considered writing a program to put on my computer to handle this problem. It wakes up my baby when I'm using normal speakers or makes me deaf when I'm wearing headphones. Anyone interested in such a program. If enough of you email me, I'll get to work. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Man. When that whistle started all I saw was your dog shit the bed and roll around all freaked out and saw you flip out and there's shit everywhere. And I laughed. A lot. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Solution: \nCancel your cable subscription. \nSell your TV. \nGet the best internet connection available in your area that you can afford.\n\nYou'll thank me.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "[Here Comes Science](http://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Science-Might-Giants/dp/B002FKZ4UO), the new album from They Might be Giants. Songs about DNA, photosynthesis, the sun, states of matter, dinosaurs, etc. Enjoy!", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "My first post ever and ive been reading reddit for over a year....the comments on peoples posts are why i keep coming back....thanks reddit", "score": 55 }, { "body": "Happy New Year!! \n\nShould old acquaintance be forgot,\n\nand never brought to mind?\n\nShould old acquaintance be forgot,\n\nand old lang syne?\n\nFor auld lang syne, my dear,\n\nfor auld lang syne,\n\nwe'll take a cup of kindness yet,\n\nfor auld lang syne.", "score": 19 }, { "body": "Happy Fucking New Year!!!!!!!!!!!! Let’s not get laid off and look forward to happy, healthy, and prosperous new years from now on!!!!!!!!! Let’s start fresh!!!!!!!!!!! yayayayayayayayyayayayayayayayayaayy", "score": 14 }, { "body": "I'm settling in with Captain Morgans Private Stock... a delicious way to end and begin a year: drunk.\n\nHappy new year!", "score": 8 }, { "body": "I wish to begin this year by saying that the cake, ladies and gentlemen, is in fact NOT a lie. I am eating it at this very moment.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Happy new year from the land of lobsters and fried clams. I wish everyone a good year full of delicious seafood.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Three cheers for watching live streams of Zelda and browsing Reddit on New Years Eve...\n\nWhat a way to spend my birthday and welcome in the new year. ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Happy new year from sweden! yep still rocking!\nEdit: and I will be rocking after all your new years eve are over!\n\neditagain:\n\nstill here. I love you all.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Man, fuck all of you New Yorkers who have to call their entire address book to wish them a happy New Year. I was on a very good call to my parents and at 12:01, my damned call dropped. I hope whoever you're pestering is happy you called.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I danced for two hours with a perfect girl that I've had crush on for over a month.\n\nThen she told me she was still in love with her ex.\n\nFeelings are mixed.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I have had an extemely rough year. I love you all. You have helped me so much and I really appreciate it. If only you could see me now. \n\nI apologize for the spelling and horrible writing; I'm wasted. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "copy the content into notepad.\nhit replace all (ctrl+h)\nreplace all 6 with _ (underscore)\nwatch it go!\n\n\n\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6669966666996699669 9999999669966666 9966666669966666 6996699999999669 9666699666666666 6666696666666666 666666666666\n6669966666996699669 9999999669966666 9966666666996666 9966699999999669 9666699666666666 6666999666666666 666666666666\n6669966666996699669 9666666669966666 9966666666699669 9666699666699669 9666699666666666 6669969966666666 666666666666\n6669966966996699669 9999999669999999 9966666666669999 6666699666699669 9666699666666666 6699666996666666 666666666666\n6669969996996699669 9999999669999999 9966666666666996 6666699666699669 9666699666666666 6999999999666666 666666666666\n6669999699996699666 6666699669966666 9966666666666996 6666699666699669 9666699666666666 9999999999966666 666666666666\n6669996669996699669 9999999669966666 9966666666666996 6666699999999669 9666699666666669 9666666666996666 666666666666\n6669966666996699669 9999999669966666 9966666666666996 6666699999999669 9999999666666699 6666666666699666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6699666669966666666 6966666666699999 9996699999999669 9666666996666666 6996666699669999 9999669966666996 666666666666\n6699666669966666666 9996666666699999 9996699999999666 9966669966666666 6999666699669999 9999669966666996 666666666666\n6699666669966666669 9699666666699666 6996699666699666 6996699666666666 6999966699669966 6666669966666996 666666666666\n6699999999966666699 6669966666699999 9996699999999666 6699996666666666 6996996699669999 9999669966966996 666666666666\n6699999999966666999 9999996666699999 9996699999999666 6669966666666666 6996699699669999 9999669969996996 666666666666\n6699666669966669999 9999999666699966 6666699666666666 6669966666666666 6996669999669966 6666669999699996 666666666666\n6699666669966699666 6666669966699666 6666699666666666 6669966666666666 6996666999669999 9999669996669996 666666666666\n6699666669966996666 6666666996699666 6666699666666666 6669966666666666 6996666699669999 9999669966666996 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n6669966666699669999 9999666666666966 6666666999999996 6666666999999966 9999999966699966 6699999999666666 666666666666\n6666996666996669999 9999666666669996 6666666999999996 6666666999999996 9966669966669966 6699666699666666 666666666666\n6666699669966669966 6666666666699699 6666666996666996 6666666666666996 9996669966669966 6699966699666666 666666666666\n6666669999666669999 9999666666996669 9666666999999996 6666666666669966 9969669966669966 6699696699666666 666666666666\n6666666996666669999 9999666669999999 9966666999999996 6666666666699666 9966969966669966 6699669699666666 666666666666\n6666666996666669966 6666666699999999 9996666996996666 6666666669966666 9966699966669966 6699666999666666 666666666666\n6666666996666669999 9999666996666666 6699666996699666 6666666999999996 9966669966669966 6699666699666666 666666666666\n6666666996666669999 9999669966666666 6669966996666996 6666666999999996 9999999966699996 6699999999666666 666666666666\n6666666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 6666666666666666 666666666666\n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Wish I could've built a time machine to travel two hours ahead to celebrate with you all. Happy *early* new years folks.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Happy New Years Reddit! I have been ducking for cover the last hour hoping I wouldn't get hid by the 10,000 rounds of ammo being fired all around me. I swear the ghetto out did itself this year. More shots, taking cover be back soon!", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Happy New Year Reddit! First post here, just started reading about a week ago and I'm hooked - here's hoping this decade is better than the last!!!", "score": 3 }, { "body": "What a fucking shitty decade spent being bent over by our corporate government. How about we fucking *do* something to make the next one better?\n\nedit: I don't really know what...too many sheeple to herd.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Happy New Year, Reddit! I love all you guys! All the best in the coming year and here's to looking back on the positive of last year.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I was all warm and fuzzy with that until I realized that was just for (EST)... being on the west coast, I feel a bit left out. Did ya HAVE to specify EST? couldn't you just say happy friggin new year to all? well gosh darnit I'll say it: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! *CLINK* CHEERS!", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I blame Dimmu Borgir: they started this trend.\n\nIt got worse with Revenge, and their three.word.title. type titles.", "score": 10 } ]

[ { "body": "I'll repeat [a comment I made](http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/ak29s/ask_rbooks_so_ive_got_a_library_card_and_im/c0hzzg2) in /r/books where someone was asking for nonfiction recommendations:\n\n---\nRecently, I finally got around to reading the famous *Guns of August* by Barbara Tuchman. I had it in my to-read pile for years, since I'd always heard it was one of the great books of history.\n\nBy the time I finished it, I felt \"OMG I must read every book this woman has ever written, right now!\" Fortunately, I already had another one of hers, *Bible and Sword*, at home, so I moved right on to that, buying me some time until I could go to the bookstore. I went to the bookstore a few days later, bought all 3 other books of hers thay had in stock, and ordered 2 others. Maybe by the time I read 7 in a row I'll be satisfied and can pick up the books I stopped in the middle of when I got sucked into Guns of August :)\n\nIn the past I've always preferred books about the world written by journalists rather than most historians, because a lot of historians view their job as digging out all the facts (which, to be fair, it is) while journalists understand that they're telling a story - so books by historians, a lot of the time, just lay out the facts, while journalists tie them together in ways that actually spark mental connections and help me learn.\n\nBarbara Tuchman is not most historians. She can dig out the facts, and *she can write* like the best novelists. Her history books are literature.\n\nBible and Sword is about the relationship between England and Israel/Palestine, from the earliest history until Allenby entered Jerusalem in 1918. Her thesis is that this relationship has run in two parallel threads: one of practical politics, commerce, and war (Sword) and the other of story, myth, and religion (Bible).\n\nWhen I'm done with it, I'm going to read *The Zimmerman Telegram* next. I'm excited, it looks like an exciting political spy thriller novella. (about real world events, of course, but reading Tuchman feels like reading fiction too)\n\n---\n\ntl;dr: *Guns of August* by Barbara Tuchman deserves its reputation as one of the best books of history ever.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Don't forget all the posts of people bitching about how reddit has changed for the worse...those are getting out of hand too...oh, wait...", "score": 13 }, { "body": "The demographics have changed. With a broader population you get more people who don't match the original community. The only connection with Conde Nast is that they bought it *because* it was growing. They certainly didn't cause the change.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "This whole Karma thing is the worst thing about Reddit. I love this site purely for the upto date news and whimsical opinions. My personal \"karma\"\n means nothing to me, seriously. But many here live for it, it's pathetic", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Time for a new community.\n\nI don't know why there is something like karma points. I have no earthly idea of what good it does and I don't care a wet slap about them.\n\nAs soon as you see something that you can 'earn', people will want more for themselves and less for others. We roll that way.\n\nWe can only countermand it by either:\n\n- posting great links\n\n- finding a new place", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "OMG, I'm hallucinating and seeing little pink Christina Aguilera monsters! No, wait, those are just side effects from my prescription meds...", "score": 6 }, { "body": "No.\n\nReasoning: we're trying to end an unlawful prohibition of our favorite naturally-occurring plant. How do you figure putting a prohibition on another substance will help? We become no better than the people forcing the prohibition on weed.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I think you're just being a \"New Years Scrooge\". Yes, it's a completely arbitrary calendar changing event, but it gives people an excuse to celebrate.\n\nNot that there is anything wrong with your way of thinking. Hell, I spent my night home alone browsing reddit!", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "My buddy got dumped last week because his girl's (asian) parents want her to date rich guys instead (Pimpin' ain't easy...). He is in the Army. It's tearing him up.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Well it sounds like other than complete awkwardness you got off pretty lightly.\n\nThat's it though my friend, don't give her an inch. She has made her bed, she says 2 weeks so don't talk to her for 2 weeks. Even if she is all \"But I miss youuuu\". Fuck her and her terrible reasoning skills", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "First off you are going to enrage a certain group by not calling them Lego.\r\n\r\nSecondly they are expensive because they can be. By now they are a very established brand so they can charge exuberant amounts for little colored blocks.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "it is for this very reason why i bought a shit-ton back in the 80s.\n\nwho is laughing now, ma? muwhahahahaha!", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I can't imagine how expensive the licensing for star wars is so I'd say that factors into it. The bricks are all but impossible to break, the sets work, and the designs are usually pretty architecturally sound. In other words they are quality toys that wil last decades. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "You name one other thing that you can buy at $.10 a piece that will still be exactly the same in 100 years.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Do you have any idea how much it costs to feed a machine plastic which it turns into simple bricks? Literally several dollars.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I think aliens will conclude that humans went extinct due to a genetic mutation leading to the loss of all pubic hair.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "If humans die off, I think that very little contemporary material will be found. Most digital storage is not as non-volatile as many assume.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Full time lurker here too... I'm thinking the only reason that this reddit is so under-represented is that most people can't type coherently once they are drunk enough to think about logging onto Reddit. (This post brought to you thanks to equal help from Captain Morgan and the backspace button)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Yep! I'm drinking a Hemp Ale (tastes great!), sitting here with my dog in my new apartment. I just moved to a new town a couple days ago, and I don't know more than 2 people around here. Happy new year everyone! 6 minutes to 2010 where I am!", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I believe because I have encountered God. Without going into too much detail, I went off the rails when I was in my young teenage years. One day I was dragged along to a Christian event by a close friend. While I was there, a woman I had never met before came up to me and described, in detail, a lot of the stuff I had been getting up to. Stuff I told no one about. This got my attention big-time and over the next few months God changed me to the point where now I am not the same person I was back then.\n\nYou can't have an encounter with something as big as God, and not be completely changed. A lot of people claim to believe (80% in the states?), but we know that most of are fooling themselves, because they do not live a changed life. But I digress...\n\nThe problem you and I have is that although we are both rational, intelligent people, my reasons for believing are completely personal to me and something you cannot understand. This makes your original question, \"Why do you believe?\" not ideal for what you really want to know.\n\nMy impression is that you hold logic and rationalism as very important to you, and you are unable to make the biblical accounts fit into that model. We could go into a endless discussion about which parts are logical, which parts are not, whether or not it matters etc etc. That would take too long, and would ultimately go in circles. \n\nWhat I will say is that in my experience it is possible to poke holes in, or find exceptions to almost theory. We have a model for electromagnetism, which works really well, but we know it's incomplete because it doesn't explain gravity at all. The scientists determining the age of the earth, and those determining the age of the universe have leapfrogged each other a few times. \n\nMy point is that if you drop each new theory as soon as you find part of it which is unexplainable then you'll end up being left with very little to hold on to. I can't explain the paradox of omnipotence, but the fact that I don't understand it doesn't invalidate the existence of God for me.\n\nSorry my response is so long, but you did ask a big question :)", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Most people don't become Christians because they think the Bible sounds reliable and consistent, or because they think the doctrine of God is easy to reconcile with the problem of pain.\n\nMost people choose to become Christians because they feel like they've encountered something of God. \n\nNot all Christians are built the same. Some have a sort of non-reflective folk theology. What they believe about God is whatever so-in-so in authority has told them about God, and whatever they happened to agree with when they watch TV or read Magazines/the Internet. If she is this sort of Christian then she'll be tough to deal with, because truth is she hasn't figured out her faith for herself yet. When you attack her beliefs what you are really attacking are her authority figures, her pastor, church leaders, and possibly her parents. These are people that she likely loves and admires, and you'll be basically saying to her, \"These people are lying to you\". If she hasn't had any self-reflection when it comes to her faith, there will be no separating attacking her faith from attacking her loved ones.\n\nIf the person is more self-reflective and has done their homework, your conversations will be more interesting, fun, and you won't have to worry as much about there being a subtext to the conversation. However, as you pointed out, the question of the problem of pain is a classic paradox. It isn't anything new. There are a ton of perspectives on it, a ton of different ways that different people (of different faiths) have attempted to solve it. You probably won't be shaking her foundations by bringing this up. There is actually nothing new about taking parts of the Bible, such as the creation story, as being allegorical--and it's more than just choosing the parts that you like and you don't. Christian theologians have been taking the creation story as a myth that explains truths about God since before the theory of evolution was ever suggested. \n\nIn the end, we are Christians because we feel like we found something of God, or He found us. It isn't a case of figuring everything out first--instead we find ourselves in a uncomfortable situation of thinking we've found something of God and trying to make sense of Him. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "why don't you ask your girlfriend? it's very interesting that you have chosen a christian girlfriend :)", "score": 5 }, { "body": "What's your purpose? To understand God or this girlfriend? Is she your soul mate? Going to get married, live together 'till you're old and gray, then both die and be made eternally one in heaven? \r\n\r\nSorry if I \"come off as offensive\", but I didn't God was so unsubstantial as to be a bauble for a romance. And you're asking me to take something I've wrestled with all my life and make it something you can conveniently compartmentalize into your own--or just as quickly dispose of. And my approach to Christ is not uniform with other people on this site--and this does engender great conflicts; all money and royalty aside, the \"Religious Wars\" in Europe were as much over disputes in Christian doctrine as they were over secular matters. Personally, I don't accept of original sin is an absolute *literal* premise for human life--but in saying that, I open myself to attacks from untold minions on this subReddit. I get attacked by Christians--my own \"spiritual brethren\".\r\n\r\nSo what you're really looking for is a bargain. Admit it. You want maximum philosophical return on the barest minimum of personal emotional investment (and man, can a person ever infer something about the relationship you got with this girl from that observation). Sorry, but I suck at trying to compartmentalize \"love\" in rational terms--be it love of God or something more on the lines of eros. \r\n\r\nAnd what are you going to do if you really are graced with something that inclines you to be a Christian? Anything? Maybe something for a couple years, then forget about it? \r\n\r\n*And are we even talking about Christ, here?* You say you're an atheist, yet you have a philosophical bent. Maybe you ought try first wrestling with Deism. Then you go onto theodicy. Then, ontology. I mean, this is a very specific Christian tenant you will be honoring--Luke 14 specifically warns against people entering unthought commitments. In contrast, these \"alter calls\"--that's when you give a sudden public confession in the church and the preacher loudly responds, \"Salvation has come to you today!\"--maybe they last and maybe they don't. Regardless, that's a very slapdash way of honoring the Great Commandment.\r\n\r\nI never had a dramatic Christian rebirth. Maybe that makes me unsaved and evil. Maybe it means every word out of my mouth is spoken by an unseen viper. Believe it or not, it never really was important to me. It so happens I liked the Jesus I was taught about in Sunday School back when I was 6 years old, liked him enough to keep him as \"savior\" ever since. However, it's clear Jesus did not preach a message for 6 year olds, which means I've had to grow. It's also clear that what I experienced in 1980s, 1990s and 2000s America had very little to do with anything I'd mistake as \"Christ-like\". I assume I'm living in the shadow which preceeds what will amount to the apocalypse--yet that, too, doesn't have to be literal from \"sola scriptura\" (Revelation includes 11 references to an \"angry god\" or \"wrathful god\"--yet how can perfection be blemished with anger?).\r\n\r\n*Hard?* Hard. But what choice is there? Are you going to be serious with this stuff, or is it just a phase you're going through? I think I might actually prefer being an atheist on some level, as this is the era in which you guys get all the breaks. Karl Rove is an atheist. He's an atheist who appeals to the absolute worst sentiments in fundamentalist Christians, so they support him. *And what retribution does he fear?* None. In his mind, human law is everything and he is above human law. *Is that the sort of definition of the universe you would teach to children? A universe run on 'do as thou wilt, but don't get caught'?* No? OK, then prepare to do some legwork in order to fathom something a little deeper. ", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "Yes I went! It was my first time and pretty worth it! I loved ringing in the new year with 17,000 other Christians. I wish more people would understand the holistic Christianity presented there. Also, I am listening to the worship CD right now :) I tried going to CUP but injured myself right before hand so I could not go. But hopefully I can go on a STM trip this summer!\n\nCon Con Con Poder!", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "It's called a \"Jump to Conclusions\" mat. You see, it would be this mat that you would put on the floor... and would have different *conclusions* written on it that you can *jump to*. ", "score": 86 }, { "body": "Organ growing that yields transplantable results. I could maybe see limbs, too, but they would probably be clumsy and awkward initially.", "score": 40 }, { "body": "A heads up display that will be worn like glasses. It will know what you are looking at and be able to give you information about it. If it's a person it could remind you of their name and perhaps some information about past interactions with them. If it's a restaurant it could access reviews for you etc... Eventually, maybe not in this decade, they will be worn as contacts.", "score": 37 }, { "body": "Wireless power. I know; Tesla this, Tesla that... I don't care. I never want to have to plug my phone or laptop in ever again.\n\nSome sort of Super-Wifi would be nice too. Imagine always being able to connect no matter where you are. We have city-wide, now I want country-wide wifi.", "score": 22 }, { "body": "passive color displays (for a colorized Kindle), fat-loss pill, non-silicon-based nanotech, cure for herpes, genetic specification for implanted embryos (listing desired traits), addiction treatment with a pill, robotic stitching (jeans and shoes made without human interaction), superb emissions filters allowing 100% garbage incineration", "score": 17 }, { "body": "Well, seeing that we will all die on December 21st, 2012-hopefully a Diet Coke that tastes like Regular Coke.", "score": 13 }, { "body": "The most important invention of all COULD happen this decade, but only if it was properly funded starting immediately:\n\nThe singularity- actual, dynamic Artificial Intelligence.\n\nHonestly, I don't understand why there isn't something akin to the space race going on for this technology. World governments, if they had any foresight at all, would be dumping billions into creating the first artificial mind. Because within a decade of that milestone, we will have artificial minds that are so smart they'll make Einstein and Newton look like morons.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "The computer interface from \"Minority Report.\"\n\nVideo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwVBzx0LMNQ\n\nPic: http://historyofeconomics.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/minority-report.jpg", "score": 7 }, { "body": "* I think that maybe a more powerful, longer lasting battery could happen this decade - ever since Tesla started trying to improve the range of electric vehicles, battery research seems to be advancing rather rapidly.\n\n* I also think a commercially viable method of storing hydrogen for use as fuel could come as well, seeing the amount of effort being put into developing alternative fuels.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I think this decade will see things invented to limit and control digital information more. We had a pretty free reign of the digital world in the last twenty years, but I think we will see things come about to monitor us more closely, and possibly even some new ways of controlling us. \n\nOne thing I'd like to see, however, is some new advances in dental care. Drilling teeth? Plastic fake teeth? Really? We can't get something that doesn't require drilling a tooth to nub and then capping it? ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Wireless USB, and along with it, universal interface so that my phone can tell my coffee maker to make me some goddamn coffee", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Scientist will invent robot sex dolls and move to South America to await Global Warming Floods and rebuild earth based on Science.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Digital wallpaper - 3d possibility \nAlso it could be so cheap we get rid of lamps. \nSolar become integrated in all hand helds\nfirst consumer solar car (gokart)\nautomated prefab housing\nkinetic chargers in our shoes\naugmented reality glasses/contacts\nconsumer grade bionics \n\n:)\n", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Ugh. I have [an SeV jacket](http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/Evolution_Jacket.shtml), which has about ten billion pockets and cable passthroughs, so this is gonna be complicated.\r\n\r\n* Front right pocket: mints\r\n* Front left pocket: USB battery pack, with cable going through the cable passthrough to\r\n* Left inside clear pocket: iPod\r\n* Right inside clear pocket: cell phone\r\n* Digital camera pocket: secondary camera, for when I can't take my DSLR with me\r\n* Travel documents pocket: wallet\r\n* Eyeglasses pocket: sunglasses and chamois on clip\r\n* Left handwarmer pocket: left hand, folded headphones\r\n* Right handwarmer pocket: right hand, keys and compass on key ring, can of soda or tea\r\n* Upper left sleeve pocket: GPS\r\n* Lower left sleeve pocket: map, candy, snack bars\r\n* Right sleeve pocket: Game Boy Advance SP\r\n* Gigantic inside left pocket: one or two books, soda or tea, DSLR (sometimes; it's kind of uncomfortable, so I only put it inside my jacket when it rains unexpectedly), multitool, binoculars, 2 D-cell LED flashlight, any amount of other stuff\r\n* Gigantic back pocket: laptop, magazines, etc (sometimes)", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Whoah, careful with the wallets in the back pockets there kids.\n\n* Front Left: Keys\n* Front Right: Wallet and Mobile\n* Left Breast: iPod", "score": 4 }, { "body": "No, no. It's Back Right: Wallet\n \nAlso, well done with the edits. I had enough faith to F5 until it all worked itself out there.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Neckerchief, LED flashlight, Swiss Army knife; no particular order except for cell phone in shirt pocket.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "yes but the shows that have less episodes usually (but not always) have a higher quality than those shows that just keep churning out crap. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "This is true. There are only like 13 episodes of good shows per season, like 30 Rock or It's Always Sunny and yet I'm paying TWICE as much while getting half the amount of episodes than I normally would have even a few years ago. Worst of all, they took away good shows like Arrested Development, Futurama, etc. and have stupid fucking reality T.V. shows and more Seth McFarlame incarnations. But I do still enjoy the meatier shows today though, as some programming has definitely advanced; many shows on HBO and other cable companies are getting better in quality, so at least we can have that and not watch The Hills...", "score": 3 }, { "body": "This has always been the case. And most broadcast network shows still do have ~22 episodes a season.\n\nAn order for a show is almost always for 13 episodes. If the show does well, they \"pick up the back 9\" in industry lingo, meaning an order for another 9 episodes, making 22. For very popular shows, the order for the full ~22 is given at once. Nearly all the popular network shows still have ~22 episodes. 30 Rock, The Office, House, 24, NCIS, etc. The network outliers that only have 13 are usually unpopular or struggling shows.\n\nCable is really what you are talking about. The cable networks only order 9-13 shows, period. I don't remember any cable series that did a full 22. Cable networks work way differently than broadcast though, and they don't have the same money to throw around. They put all their eggs in one, or just a few, baskets, and they make those shows as best they can.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "You sat next to some assholes in a restaurant.\n\nIt's unfortunate, but really nothing worthy of painting over the entirety of American culture with.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "america is schizophrenic when it comes to this issue. we demand sexual fidelity and virginal women, yet we have the biggest sex/porn industry. same with our ambivalent feelings towards drug culture and free speech. american culture isn't more crass than other cultures, just more confused and flip-floppy about it. now we are just more open about the contradiction. also, lots of people are drunk and just wild on new years - perhaps it would have happened 20 years ago, it just wouldn't have bothered you or stuck out so much to you then.\n\n(personally, i do not censor myself in public, even when there are kids present.) ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Okay, I realize it was New Year's Eve and people act crazy then; I just was surprised that nobody from this very expensive, supposedly classy restaurant objected to these drunken idiots. A waiter did apologize to me when we were leaving, but I would have thought the manager would have tossed them out. I guess you don't do that when you have ten paying customers on New Year's Eve. I also realize that I shouldn't categorize a whole culture based on one incident like that. I was just pissed off that my daughter had to be near that crap.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I think you're going to the wrong restaurants. Not joking, if it really was an \"upscale, classy restaurant\" then that party would have been thrown out the moment they started causing a ruckus. I think a lot of people here can say quite confidently that a real snazzy resturant would *never* put up with such behaviour.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Here's 10 Doctors... http://comics.shipsinker.com/2007/03/11/doctor-who-comic-the-ten-doctors-page-1/", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Probably not until after 11's first full season. They need to let him get established first. After that it's anyone's guess. Hopefully more sooner than later!", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "Assuming you understand the concept of a matrix as a linear transformation: The determinent is essentially the \"scaling factor\" of the transformation. As in the size of a unit square (or any shape with area 1) will have when you pass it though the matrix. This can be generalized to volume for 3d space, and beyond for more dimensions.", "score": 24 }, { "body": "The determinant is the unique multi-linear, anti-symmetric function which is 1 for the identity matrix. ;)", "score": 17 }, { "body": "I've always liked [V.I. Arnold's geometric take on determinants:](http://pauli.uni-muenster.de/~munsteg/arnold.html)\n\n> The *determinant* of a matrix is an (oriented) volume of the parallelepiped whose edges are its columns. If the students are told this secret (which is carefully hidden in the purified algebraic education), then the whole theory of determinants becomes a clear chapter of the theory of poly-linear forms. If determinants are defined otherwise, then any sensible person will forever hate all the determinants, Jacobians and the implicit function theorem.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Check out [Khan Academy](http://khanacademy.org/), specifically Salman's section on Linear Algebra. He has a knack for explaining complex ideas in a simple way.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "A determinant tells you how the volume of something changes by a given linear transformation (expressed as a matrix). All different ways of representing a linear transformation (similar matrices) will have the same determinant.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "To piggyback off of this question: what is a trace? I know how to find it and that it is a property of the transformation and not its matrix representation, but I've never seen it used outside of introductory material about (multi)linear algebra. What does it do? Why is it important to learn?", "score": 5 }, { "body": "If you want to understand what a determinant is on a conceptual level, you need to understand linear algebra, which starts with vectors. Since you don't seem to know them as anything other than a list of numbers, here's what they are, and how that relates to said mysterious lists.\n\n(Someone please correct me if any of this is wrong, it's been a while)\n\n**Vectors**\n\nVectors are, first and foremost, mathematical objects. How they are written down (often as list of numbers) and what real-life concepts they represent are secondary to the rules that govern them. \n\nThat said, the vectors you'll be dealing with represent things *in space* that have a *size* and *direction*.\n*Space* can be real (infinite) 3D space, or a 2D plane, or a 1D line, or a 4D 'space' that you can't easily visualise but can reason about by analogy. Whatever it is, it has a special point called \"the origin\" or 0, and a well-defined scale - we know what a distance of 1 means.\n\nVectors can represent different things:\n\n * *positions* - the location of a point in space. The magnitude is the distance from the origin to the point, and the direction is the direction from the origin to the point. \n * *displacements* - the journey between two points in space. The magnitude is the distance between the points.\n * *velocity* - the direction of a point moving through space, with the magnitude being its speed.\n\nThere are some obvious things you should be able to do to vectors. If you think of them as arrows (length and direction):\n\n * You can multiply a vector by a number (make the arrow longer)\n * You can add two vectors\n * You can find the angle between two vectors\n\nIn order to actually perform these operations, we need some notation to represent vectors, and algorithms that give the results we expect. The most convenient way of writing down vectors is using a (cartesian) coordinate system.\n\n**Coordinate systems**\n\nFor the purposes of an example, let's assume the world is an infinite flat surface, the origin is New York, and the scale is 1 = 1km.\n\nTo create a coordinate system, we need to pick some vectors to use as our measuring sticks. I'm going to choose the vectors that represent 1km north, and 1km east. Let's call them N and E.\n\nNow the vector of length 0 represents the origin, the middle of New York. \nThe vector N represents a point 1km north of the city centre.\nThe vector 220 * N + represents (approximately) Albany. \nAnd -1500*N + -2100 * E is Austin, Texas. (Please don't check those numbers).\nIn fact any point on the flat earth can be expressed in the form a*N + b*E, where a and b are real numbers. We write (a,b) for short. New York is (0,0), Austin is (-1500,-2100).\n\nNow we could have chosen vectors other than N and E. For example we could have chosen 1km south, and 1km west (now Austin is 1500,2100), or 1km northeast and 1km northwest (don't make me work it out...). The same vector (displacement in space) has a different representation (list of numbers) depending on what measuring-stick vectors you choose to use. \n\nFortunately, you get the right answer no matter what system you use, as long as you're consistent. If you want life to be easy, there's a couple of restrictions on these \"basis vectors\":\n\n * They must all be at right angles to each other. (orthogonal)\n * They must all have length 1 (normal)\n\nThe most obvious benefit of having an \"orthonormal basis\" is measuring lengths and distances. The distance from the origin to the point (3,4) is √(3^2 + 4^2) = 5. (If you don't see why, draw a picture showing the origin, the N and E vectors, and the vector (3,4)).\n\nThe idea of basis vectors and coordinate systems works for 3D space too, but you turn out to need a third basis vector to be able to describe every point. In 4D, you need four vectors. In fact, the dimension of a (vector) space is *defined as* the number of basis vectors you need in order to assign coordinates.\n\n**Vector operations** \n\nThe reason we set up a coordinate system was to record and perform operations on vectors. It turns out the operations we want are now pretty easy. You can verify the answers are right by drawing a picture.\n\nTo multiply a vector by a number (i.e. stretch it), just multiply each component.\nFor example: 3 * (3,4) = (9,16)\n\nTo add two vectors, just add the components.\nFor example: (3,4) + (2,2) = (5,6).\n\nTo find the length of a vector, use Pythagoras's rule. |(3,4)| = √(3^2 + 4^2).\n\nThe angle between vectors is a little tricky. First you need to scale down the vectors so that they have length 1 (normalize them), \nthen you perform an operation known as the \"dot product\": multiply corresponding components, add the results together. The dot product of the normalized vectors gives you the *cosine* of the angle between them. Example: (3,4) and (2,0)\n\n * (3,4) has length 5, so multiply by 0.2 to give (0.6, 0.8)\n * (2,0) has length 1, so multiply by 0.5 to give (1, 0)\n * dot product (0.6,0.8)•(1,0) = 0.6, 0\n * so cos x = 0.6\n * so x = 0.927 (radians)\n\n**Where to next?**\n\nOnce you understand what vectors are rather than just the numbers that represent them, you're going to want to understand the idea of a \"linear transformation\" of vectors, which is what you're doing when you multiply a matrix by a vector. Then you can look at ways of characterizing linear transformations, and the ideas of determinants, eigenvectors, etc should make sense.", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "Two things that really helped me: meditation and exercise.\n\nI would suggest looking into the various forms of meditation to see which suits you, but get into the discipline of doing it for 10-20 minutes in the morning and again in the evening. To start, just sit, and acknowledge the thoughts and feelings as they arise. You don't need to do anything about them or act on them, just observe.\n\nLikewise with exercise - get into the discipline of doing some every day, enough to raise the heart rate for a good chunk of time. It will burn off all that excess energy and will help you relax (depression and anxiety usually go together to varying degrees, certainly did in my case) It's a little cold here now, but I cycled at least half an hour every day throughout the summer and it had a phenomenal impact. If you don't have a bike, run, or walk, it's all good. Now it's winter I do resistance training at home.\n\nI'd guess you'll see results straight away from the exercise (although it probably depends on how used to it you already are). Meditation is different for everybody, and it can be subtle - strangely, it can be having a big effect and you won't even notice. Stick with it. People have various expectations from meditation (they think it will change the world, give them huge insights into the universe, etc), but in my experience, it gave me some respite from negative thoughts and associations, and once you really understand thoughts are just thoughts, you get a great degree of control over them.\n\nAnother major thing you can do is to help other people (or non-human animals) in some way. It sounds crazy to be thinking of others when you're in need of help, but it works. You take a lot of power away from those negative thoughts when you have a good cause to occupy your mind. Of course your ability to do this is dependant on your situation.\n\nIf you have any more questions or you want me to clarify/expand on anything, go ahead and ask.", "score": 11 }, { "body": " Burning and cutting are a way of taking control of your body when everything else feels like it spiraling out of control. It's also a way to release adrenalin and endorphins which make you feel good when everything else is bad. Maybe a post over to http://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/ as well. They have some pretty good insights sometimes. \n\nIn the meantime, what do you normally eat? Do you take any supplements? Alcohol or drugs? prescription or otherwise? These things can have a major effect on depression, can even be the root cause of it in some cases. ", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Check out http://www.nami.org and click on \"Find your Local NAMI\". Get the phone number to the nearest office so you can call and explain your situation. It's possible that they might be able to point you in the right direction. If you have unipolar depression they might be able to get you to a grant-run treatment program so you can get free treatment. They might even know what to do about medications.\n\nAlso, if you are experiencing suicidal ideation and you are cutting yourself you should probably consider checking yourself into a short term inpatient mental hospital that the state would be obligated to pay for (no private hospitals). Being at risk of suicide is a pretty dangerous thing and you are already self-harming. Stay safe. Reach out to your family. Definitely check out your local NAMI though because they are going to know a lot of things that could help you out.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "When I went through a bad period a few years ago, I took up running. It helped moderately, but on one particular day, it *really* helped. The weather had changed from the cool 50's to the mid 70's overnight. I had been used to running my route during the winter months without taking any water with me. I didn't need it then. On this day, however, I *did* need it. And I needed it half-way through the run. \n\nBy the time I was finished, I was desperately and dreadfully dehydrated. The water I drank shortly thereafter was amazing, but something else had happened: my priorities had rebooted. Where once had been a confused and tangled list of vague and sometimes shapeless angst-riddled troubles, there was now water, food, and shelter. Everything else took a backseat. \n\nThe experience was uplifting, liberating, and memorable. It was also medically dangerous - to get as dehydrated as I did - but I would say the results are similar to what happens in sweat lodges (when things don't go horribly wrong like they did in one last year...). I hesitate suggesting trying something like this, but it's certainly better than the alternative. Several people have mentioned exercise, so why not try it? Not with the goal of losing weight or building strength or anything like that, but with the goal of reorienting your priorities through physical means.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "You need to keep your job so in the short-term stop burning your arms. If you need to self harm then do it somewhere hidden until you can stop the urge. Your legs for example.\n\nExercise is underrated - it really is. But when I say exercise I mean real fucking back breaking, vomit-inducing exercise. Sprint up and down a hill until you're about to collapse. Once you do, take 30 seconds rest and repeat. Do it for 15mins at least. Believe me - you'll love life so much and respect your body a lot more too.\n\nThat's one of the revelations I had when I started exercising hard. Suddenly life became so much more meaningful. It reconnected body and mind - I suggest you try it.\n\nAlcohol is a definite no-no. I've done pretty much every drug on the planet and I can safely say the one that's done the most psychological and physical damage is alcohol. It will cloud your judgement and mood for at least 3 days. Even small amounts can - so just don't bother.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The most important non-medical thing for mood regulation is a regular sleep schedule. Make sure you're getting a good 8 hours a night and it would help out alot.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "you forgot to mention the new bacon diet that's going to unite the world under a single greasy napkin starting sometime in february!\n", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "**Don't read this until tomorrow, because it's going to ruin your day:**\n\nThe camera beard is no longer considered a hat, it drops just like any other weapon now. I'm sorry.", "score": 23 }, { "body": "I got one today...I went from happy to very pissed to happy again because it's awesome with the Ghastly Gibus.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "you just blew your own mind. I have to agree with your bowl though. \n\nBecause it is an inanimate object, it was you who gave it a personality to even tell you that it knew you better than yourself.", "score": 10 } ]

[ { "body": "Convince people they should feel guilty for wanting or having sex (perhaps the strongest natural urge) and then make yourself the monopoly on forgiveness. ", "score": 88 }, { "body": "Before contraception sex was a risky thing. The promiscuous and the prostitutes likely spread all kinds of nasty diseases, and males had and still do have a strong, but reasonable fear of being cuckolded by their women.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "The show about pagans (from the sound of it, the same as one I saw) was somewhat ahistoric, long on assertion and dramatization and a little light on solid fact, but yes, many cultures were much more accepting of sexulaity in general and female sexuality in particular. ", "score": 11 }, { "body": "I think a lot of religious rules like the taboos of sex were rooted in practicality.\n\nSex spreads disease very easily so being choosy about your partner and being faithful was a good way to not catch as well as not spread any disease. \n\nAnother good example is pork. The reason pork was originally taboo is that pigs were not kept as food animals. They roamed the trash pits eating garbage and waste disposed of outside many villages and towns. Top that off with the number of issues that can e had just by not cooking pork thoroughly and you have a very plausible situation where people who ate pork at the time would get sick or die more often so the church makes it taboo for the sake of keeping the people from eating bad meat. Of course now it is just tradition as we don't keep pigs on landfills anymore and any semi-competent cook can prepare pork correctly. \n\nYou'll also notice in many religions that there were rules from their various \"gods\" on when and sometimes what crops should be planted. The use of building materials, economic exchange and other day to day factors.\n\nIt is during these times that I feel religion served it's most important purpose to the human race. It provided a framework for which societies could grow and and work together to become more successful. Since people at time were largely uneducated and the priests themselves likely knew nothing more than a basic correlation by observation they would pin the rules on god or some religious need rather than try to rationalize with an uneducated population as to why it is bad to eat tainted meat.\n\nOf course today many of these so-called religious laws are just old traditions that are no longer rationally necessary. I often wonder if the original writers of some of the rules would think society today silly for still following them. \n\nI could imagine a statement like \"You mean you still don't eat pork after you know how to make it safe??? Why? I mean I know I wrote it in a book and all but I was just trying to keep my village/town from dying, I didn't think anyone would still care 2000+ years later.\"", "score": 10 }, { "body": "I went to the Garden of Love, \r\nAnd saw what I never had seen: \r\n\r\nA Chapel was built in the midst, \r\nWhere I used to play on the green. \r\n\r\nAnd the gates of this Chapel were shut, \r\nAnd `Thou shalt not' writ over the door; \r\n\r\nSo I turn'd to the Garden of Love, \r\nThat so many sweet flowers bore, \r\n\r\nAnd I saw it was filled with graves, \r\nAnd tomb-stones where flowers should be: \r\n\r\nAnd Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds, \r\nAnd binding with briars my joys and desires.\r\n\r\n~ William Blake (1757 - 1827)", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Hey, OP. The answer to your question is described in the bhagavad gita. (Quite clearly actually, if you ever care to study it.) Basically Krishna explains that suffering and the deprivation of pleasure, is the only way to reach God or enlightenment. This idea of suffering, being the only road towards enlightenment, is heavily present in every major religion. In Christianity, Jesus suffers the cross. In Islam, virgins await those who die in the causes of God's divine purposes. [Eckhart Tolle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eckhart_Tolle#Career), just to give an example of a modern day spiritual teacher, explains that his transformation (should you believe in such a thing, I know, I do) was caused by an immense suffering. So, religion teaches that sex is allowed only for the begetting of children, not for enjoyment. \n\nIt's my believe that this basic spiritual philosophy, has lost it's initial meaning in the major organized religions. And in the process, turned sex into an obscure and unnatural misconception, as something that's in and of itself \"bad\". This of course is wrong, as sex isn't technically the problem, but rather the indulgence of pleasure in general and thus diversion from God, is what's at stake.\n\nI hope this clears it up for you, and that my English is well understood :)\n\nEDIT: wording. ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "It used to be (literally) dirty. And It spreaded infectious disease. At this point in history, if one had a lot of sex, one stood a chance to get a lot of disease", "score": 4 }, { "body": "The most common argument I hear is that it's an effort to control women, since Christianity and Islam come from extremely patriarchal societies. On the other hand, it could be the symptom of a culture where people cared about who kids' parents were. Some societies, especially ones where the kids are all grouped together and taken care of by everyone, do not care who the baby-daddy is. I recall learning from a cultural anthro class about small nomadic tibes and isolated villages that would do this, and the promiscuity of women was not a big deal (much to the dismay of Christian missionaries trying to change that).\n\nGoing to a more biological perspective, there are two countering forces between the attitudes of baby-daddies. On one hand, it's commonly seen in other animals like gorillas, lions, etc to see males caring a LOT about whether a female's baby is theirs or not. After all, each animal wants to replicate its own genes and not care for someone else's. On the other hand, animals that live in communities like chimps and bonobos are more relaxed about this (well, chimps are kind of in-between, but the females are definitely promiscuous), because keeping the population well-fueled is important to group survival.\n\nThe sexual repression could also just be a cultural idiosyncrasy gone out of control. It happens. For example, why does Jainism repress the indulgence of eating? They take no-killing so far that you can hardly eat anything, and living an ascetic lifestyle is encouraged. But, it's pretty essential to eat, just like it's essential to have sex. Not eating and not having sex are pretty counter-productive to the survival of a species, but here they are, these religious people who die of starvation and malnutrition, or go their entire lives never having sex and never spreading their genes.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "The Church(es) have long sought to control people (their \"flocks\") by holding monopolies over birth, marriage and death.\n\nIn former times public gatherings, the theatre and singing and dancing were all prohibited *except* within the confines of the Church, which is why singing is a big part of Church services. It was, quite simply, the *only* place where such activities were allowed.\n\nControl over sex has been achieved, at great cost to human happiness by conspiring to make people feel guilty about their \"sinful\" and \"vile\" bodies and encouraging people to \"confess\" to their \"sins\" to beg \"forgiveness\".\n\nThe Catholic Church, as we all well know, doesn't really give a damn who people fuck, and indeed has recently been shown to actively assist and protect pedophiles and child rapists. It's not just the Catholic Church, my sister and I were masturbated over by a non-catholic priest when we were young and when this was dicovered we were told that he was \"unwell\" and deserving of sympathy, we were *not* to tell anyone what had happened. \n\nThe officers of these dreadful organisations wear medieval clothes and tell lies for a living. I find it very hard to believe that they really have \"faith\" in God, especially since they are so utterly devoid of the morality that they preach. They enforce their dogma by having their \"faithful\" repeat carefully designed \"prayers\" so many thousands of times that the enormous and outrageous lies they contain become burned into people's brains.\n\nIt amazes me that this archaic crapness can survive in our supposedly enlightened world, but as P. T. Barnum said:\n\n*There's one born every minute.*", "score": 4 }, { "body": "just a thought, it must have acted as a form of birth control and helped prevent the spread of STDs when you think about it. In a world where people knew little about these things, it probably saved lives", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The fact that most civilizations evolved similar attitudes towards sex even independently of each other suggests that at least some digression is necessary to prevent the breakdown of society. Religion played its part in strengthening these ideas about actions that were (or still are) dangerous. I think it also explains why modesty evolved.\n\nIf you think about it, if every guy walked around with his shlong in the open, there would probably be a lot more fights (and probably leading to deaths pre-historic times).", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "More importantly, will i be able to will my steam account to someone else after my death?\n\nI have a legacy to pass on.", "score": 16 }, { "body": "It's not like there isn't a risk with hard copies of all your games. They could be Destroyed in a natural dissaster or stolen. Any form of ownership has certain risks and ultimatly I donno if the steam goes under risk is any worse than the house burns down risk.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "When the industry itself dies, you won't be needing games. Chances are you will be needing survival gear, a full tank of petrol and a quick route to some place up north where the infected can't get to you.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I'll bitch and whine about it for a while, then I'll realize that all my Steam games save for whatever 2 I actually play with any regularity at the time are way out of date, and I'll just buy those 2 again from another source and move on with my life.\n\nI mean, realistically speaking, all those boxes with games I haven't touched in years aren't doing me any good, even though I'll get to keep them no matter what happens to any particular company. This way, if Valve dies, I'll at least not have all that shelf space taken.", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "I woke up to the sound of my friend banging his girlfriend in the next room with the door wide open. Sounded like they were pretty naked.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I woke up with just a t-shirt and my socks on, smelling of mogen-david, with breakfast beside my bed that I know I didn't cook. Yet, nobody is in my house. Strange.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I woke up fine, but this thread reminds me of a party where a (male) friend got trashed, was dressed in bra, panties, and over-the-top make-up, and woke up naked in a laundry basket in my friend's garage. Those were some great days...", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Nope. Can't do that on any version. Well, maybe on the PC with the save editor I guess. \n\nIf you've got a friend who has a Mordi at playthrough 2 though, he can power level you crazy fast in the Eridian Promontory.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I went to the shopping centre about a month ago, and yeah I do feel a crushing dissapointment when I walk around it. I'm not trying to sound elitist, as if i'm any better than people (like myself) who go to shopping centres, but there was one moment in particular which i'll never forget.\n\nThere was this young woman, a shop attendant, walking what seemed to be a metallic four-legged creature, light silver and with no head, around the floor of the shop's entrance. Somebody produced this with the sole purpose of selling it to people. It seemed to have no use whatsoever, and the cynicism of this eye-straining, ugly and seemingly worthless product, designed solely for the average idiot, made me slightly tinge with anger. And it had a extortionate price-tag on the side.\n\nThat was one of the most utterly hopeless moments I can think of.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I went to a house party in West End. We missed midnight, met some knew people, had some friendly debates and had a generally lovely time. We left as the sun was rising, and was wandering homeward when I heard some sweet piano music. Listened for a bit, friends were about ready to continue on, so I headed up their verandah and poked my head in. Three minutes later, I'm sitting on their couch, sipping goon and talking. Stayed there another hour, then headed home. Stole some mangoes from a tree on my street, wrote a message to my housemate on toilet paper, and fell asleep.\n\nPretty good times, all around.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Drinking beer and playing call of duty modern warfare 2 with some long lost mates whilst listening to awesome music, can't complain, although it's not much difference to any other night. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "[This](http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=83)\n\nAlso there are several hundred engineers and geologists that plot a route though the available rock structures.\n\nAlso a youtube of it in action [here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frRjcHUB23k)", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "I was wondering this too. I live in California and was switching through the local channels and all I saw was NYE in Times Square. I just said screw it and watched South Park instead.\n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "that'd be one huge engaygement....especially in west LA. could be fun, like a giant studio 54 or party monster kinda thing", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Because you get all the baseball games at a reasonable time. We have to watch them in the middle of the night out east.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "So, I had to get a check up for work a few years ago. I go see the doc the company set the appointment up with. the (female) doctor comes in, i have my back turned starting to undress. She says \"Dont worry, you havnt got anything I havnt seen.\" I turn around, Shes a woman I picked up a bar a week before. Looooong awkward silence. ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I once went to see a doctor and it was the worst experience of my life. I'd recommend all of you try to stay away from a Dr. Acula.", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "Don't know of a replacement myself (been looking as well).\n\nHere is a thread about past and recent issues. Seems that they will be back soon. \n\nhttp://ipoker.tiltblog.com/2009/01/06/best-poker-torrents/", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "* Total profit amount?\n\n* How does one become formally trained in the industry?\n\n* Which acts do *you* perform?", "score": 8 }, { "body": "One income source I would suggest is becoming a partner on youtube and put up videos regularly doing your thing and do \"how to\" videos, I think you would get a fair amount of views and here is a recent reddit post of someone that does make money off of videos\nhttp://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/agzoe/i_make_3000_4000_a_month_making_youtube_videos_ama/", "score": 4 }, { "body": "After seeing those pics of your work, I believe I'll stick with the merely mental pain my programming job entails.\n\nThanks though.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Have you read the real bible of the sideshow world Circus of the Scars?\nhttp://www.circusofthescars.com/bookscars.htm", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Excuse me for saying this, but isn't this just weird? Eating glass or sticking needles thru your arm or whatever...isn't this just gross? I can't stand the thought of this type of thing or the pain involved. It hurts me to think about it. Why in the world would you/anyone be interested in doing something like this? Money? I can't understand at all. Can you explain??? I read that you have a high tolerance for pain but Jesus... Do a lot of people react to you the way that I do?", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I just watched American Carny last night! Very interesting. \n\n*The people in the documentary had mentioned that if you're doing it today, it's for the love and not the money. Do you agree? Do you think you could ever make a very good, stable living doing this?\n\n*What do your parents think?\n\n*Are you still with the girl?\n\n*What do ladies think? Do you get weird groupies?\n\n", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Honestly, I think it's main usefulness resides in its ability to keep the game somewhat fresh. I stayed at 70 for a while (long enough to hammer on the guys at the LAN party) then prestiged right after to keep it interesting.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "You have to prestige at least once to unlock the challenges that give you the amazingly cool marksmanship medals when you complete them. Those are, in my opinion, by far the coolest emblems in the game, so prestiging at least one is pretty much mandatory if you want an awesomely cool callsign.\n\nI'm planning on prestiging to either prestige 4 or prestige 6, because those medals are by far the most aesthetically pleasing. (The prestige 10 skull looks sweet too, but it's just not my style.)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I'm at like 35 in the first prestige and I'm not going to go any further. I did it for the extra class slots, but it was really rough starting over completely. Maybe that's just because I'm not very good. Emblems don't really mean much to me anyway. It'd be cool if they revised the game to offer up different perks/weapons for those people who prestige even more even if the weapons weren't any superior, but that probably isn't possible. I'm also curious when they're going to release some new maps...I know the game has only been out since mid-November it's unrealistic at this point, but I'm starting to get really sick of some of the current maps...especially Derail and Wasteland. Hate em.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "OMG!!! Someone else that owns a six-shooter! Awesome! Is that new? Looks new. Mine is 20+ years old, and it doesn't look quite like yours. It's conical, and has a screw-piece of the bottom that you can hook up to a threaded pipe or, what I did, screw it on top of a bong stem. Man, now I have to dig mine out. Haven't used it in years.\n\nMy evening has been going well, thank you for asking. It's still going, actually, as I have nothing to do this first day of the new year other than watch some bowl games. Enjoying some great smoke (a CaliO hybrid) in my 18\" bong and sipping on some scotch. Hope you are having (or had) a great evening. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "[4] Nicely crossfaded with OG Kush and Cook's champus....\n\nLOL, our friends took a hit of that stuff, and had to just stop and enjoy it. Said it went straight to their heads!", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Me me me! My wife died in February, my dad died in September, my cat died in August! Craptacular all round! For more on that see this http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/akdvr/dumbest_thing_you_did_in_2009/\r\n\r\nThank F*ck that year is gone!", "score": 297 }, { "body": "I gained 30 lbs (I've since lost 5) because I stopped giving a shit after my dad died. His sister died 9 months prior and he cancelled his trip to California to see me so he could pay for the burial. I haven't seen him in 2.5 years, and I'll never get to see him again.\n\nWrote a (rap) song about it. The song is TO my sister, ABOUT my dad, and the voicemail at the beginning was the last thing he ever said to me... I never go to return the call: http://xeno.com/hosted/xeno_-_another_day.mp3\n\n\nFuck 2009.", "score": 200 }, { "body": "Let's see:\n\nGraduated from college (+1) \nin the middle of the worst economic slump in decades (-1) \nwith a liberal arts degree (-1). \nMoved back home with my parents (-1) \nMy brother got married (+1) \nbut we couldn't afford a service (-1). \nI got in shape (+1). \nI realized my dad is slowly trying to kill himself with alcohol to avoid getting Alzheimer's (-1) \n\nSo far, the tally isn't looking good.\n\nEDIT: didn't expect my random bitching to be so popular, but I might as well finish it off, now that it's turned into a game:\n\nDated a cute blond chick who helped me edit my writing (+1) \nshe was polyamorous (-1). \nDiscovered all my high school friends had long moved on and my college friends were all in Santa Fe (-1) \nGot turned down at at least ten job interviews, including Kinko's and Office Depot (-10) \nDiscovered reddit (+1) \nGot a Kindle (+1) \nAvoided the swine flu (+1) \nGot my iPod Touch stolen at the gym (-1) \nEstranged, abrasive, money-grubbing aunt had a massive heart attack (+/- ?) \nAlzheimer's-ridden grandma admits feeding her poodle one piece of chocolate per night (-1) \n\nThat oughta do it.", "score": 125 }, { "body": "I remember at midnight on 1/1/09 my wife and 2 year old daughter were violently sick (unfresh seafood, probably). It heralded the worst year of my life so far.\n\nIn March my wife had left me to live with another man, taking my daughter with her. I moved the breadth of the country (one in which I wasn't born) in order to keep contact with my daughter. I now drive an hour an a half every other weekend to collect her and to spend 48 hours with her. In the middle of December my wife gave birth. Everyone is happy. Apart from me.", "score": 66 }, { "body": "My ex-husband, daughter of my 6 year old died in a freak accident. I was the first to know and had to tell several people including his mother and my daughter. FML. ", "score": 53 }, { "body": "In 2009 I was diagnosed with cancer and had to drop out of college. I had my leg amputated above my knee and went through 7 months of chemotherapy. I lost all my hair, got sick from treatment, had to learn to walk again, and almost died. Fuck you, 2009.", "score": 48 }, { "body": "I got a raise, paid off all of my bills, had a great week of vacation in the summer, and got engaged. I pray 2010 will be as kind to me. ", "score": 45 }, { "body": "Let's just say I'll be spending 2010 the same way I've been spending 2009: trying to forget about the previous year (you may consider this depressing, but think of the upside, I can always come up with a New Years resolution!). ", "score": 27 }, { "body": "It sucked ass. Everything i was taught to do in order to make more money as turned intoa move that has ruined my life. Fuck 2009, I'm glad you're gone.", "score": 24 }, { "body": "Good riddance to 2009. I'm ending it on a high note, but I hit rock bottom this past year I never want to feel that way again.", "score": 21 }, { "body": "My family's house burned down, right after we had just finished doing major repairs (ourself) from damage done during Hurricane Ike.\n\nFuck you, 2009. Fuck you in your stupid nine-y ass. ", "score": 21 }, { "body": "This decade: My mom died of cancer, my estranged dad died of a heart condition, and my best friend died of a heroin overdose. FUCK the aughts. On the last day, I tried to turn my car on, and THAT died too.", "score": 13 }, { "body": "What a fucking depressing thread! \n\nI'm sorry everyone. Seriously, I hope sharing here will help some of you get over it. I hope the next year will be better.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "Well lets see...\nI got into a severe depression after breaking up with my gf of 4 years, due to this depression I started feeling extremely unmotivated.\nFailed lots of my classes, so now I dropped out in hopes of making some money to return to class.\n\nI disappointed my parents, the rest of my family and most importantly myself AND I lost the love of my life(so far).\n\nOh yeah, my grandma died 2 days before christmas and my dad got fired when he landed in the airport for her funeral(they said you cant take days off, my dad said FU its my mom...)\n2009 sucked balls.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Got evicted, because my dad couldn't work in the mortgage industry anymore, was homeless for a few days, then found a place to stay for a few months to sell off all our shit, was homeless again, went to WA state, came back to California, found a kind lady to take us in long enough to get a job. Got job, made $30k+ at $25-30/hour, got laid off right before December, Dad had a stroke recently, can't eat any more orally, now eats through a tube in his stomach. Not to mention we lost 2 of our pets to ailments (kidney disease, colon cancer). This is the year i became the bread winner and my father took a back seat because he couldn't feed/house us anymore financially. My mother this year is permanently in a convalescent home. This past year for my family will go down in infamy. Either the year we changed our lives, or the year we went into poverty permanently.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "I'll share mine.\n\n* Started my own [game company](http://www.roguepirateninja.com) for iPhone (+5).\n* Learned about running a company and hiring workers (+10).\n* Spent 8 months writing 85,000 lines of code for a game (+20).\n* 8 months, alone, in my \"office\"/room, 14+ hours a day, 6 days a week (-25).\n* I did 85% of the work (-5).\n* Made shit off said game (-50). _yeah yeah, \"was it fun?\", ikwyas_\n* Didn't have money to pay those who helped me (-100).\n* Depressed from above -> spending too much time on reddit/digg/4chan (-15).\n* Analyzed what went wrong and looking forward to 2010 (+10).\n* Dad didn't die, but I don't think he has much more (N).\n* Still with gf of 8+ years (+25).\n* Want to fuck every other girl I see (-10).\n* Starting reading PUA (+2).\n* Feel bad about reading PUA (-2).\n* Lost five pounds (+2).\n* Went to two parties, got called a \"creeper\" at both (& kicked out) because I was the oldest one there (I'm 26), a computer geek to boot, and found out I get \"overtly emotional\" when drunk (-5).\n* Perfected making a really tasty Fettuccine Alfredo dinner, from Walmart items (+5).\n* Working out again, but flakily (+[1,5]).\n\nI would say it was a pretty crappy year though. Although we spent a lot of time, got our names on the App Store, our sales were total shit. Not worth the effort we put into it. We'll do something better this next year though - a LOT more effort going into pre-production this time around.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "2009 was pretty bad. it was no 95 though. and let's not even get started on 87. 86? hell yeah! 2000? meh. here's to 2010 being like a 92/86 sandwich with 93 as the mayo.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "worst year ever, no girl, no job, no money, more study, less friends, more relatives, more bills, less fun, more fat. But as the immortal words of D-reams song goes....things can only get better.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Let's just say this year can only be worse if someone shoves my cock into a meat grinder while simultaneously shoving a 15\" barbed strap-on into my ass while making me listen to Lady Gaga.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "First post. Been lurking forever. Hi, Reddit! I'm glad to finally be a part of this chaos.\n\n2009 was the worst year of my life. Started the year with an unemployed wife who was basically railroaded out of her job. We didn't have a strong marriage to start with and that put a huge strain on things.\n\nIn February, we decided to do some financial finagling with our retirements and put a huge chunk of $ into upgrading our home. (What were we thinking???) It was some work we always wanted to do, but put it off. This was supposed to be a major bedroom upgrade for our kids and they weren't getting any younger. It ended up being the destruction of everything I believed was my life.\n\nBy Easter, she said she was \"comparing me to other men.\" I wanted to go to counseling to work things out, but she wasn't interested. She actually said marriage shouldn't be work, it should be easy. Yeah, sure.\n\nThe work continued on our home--we even decided to do more. I knew in April that the \"other men\" she was comparing me to was the contractor's worker. I was holding on with everything I had in the hopes that she would change wake up and realize what she had. I knew what was happening and could do nothing to stop it. By the end of July, she said there was nothing I could do to save the marriage. \n\nI was stuck at a crossroads--I couldn't leave due to financial constraints and wanting to protect the kids, but I couldn't stay either. August was horrible to say the least. Looking back, I can't believe I survived it.\n\nIn mid-September, I found a series of notes that he had written to her. She was having an emotional affair with him. There was no longer any doubt. \n\nShe got a job and started on October 1st. On October 18th, I moved out. \n\nIf it weren't for counseling, friends, and Reddit, I don't know what I would have done, but I can say that many very bad things crossed my mind. Yes, Reddit, all of you helped me. The stories and help you give each other helped me, a non-member to survive the hell that was my life. Thanks to everyone who shares their thoughts and feelings here.\n\nThe last two months of my life have been a major adjustment to say the least, but I now realize how truly unhappy I was in the marriage. I now have the opportunity to start anew as *myself*--someone I was not permitted to be in the past. I have a new life now and am looking forward to what the future holds for me. I am truly happy for the first time in as long as I can remember.\n\nThe kids are doing alright, and we have made it expressly clear to them that this is not their fault and that we both love them. All-in-all, I would say that they are doing remarkably well considering the upheaval in their lives.\n\nSo long 2009. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. I wish I could forget almost every minute of you. Welcome to 2010, the first year of my new life...\n ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "2009 had extremes from both ends for me. Had some really shitty stuff happen as well as some really great stuff. All in all though, I'm definitely excited for the new decade!", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I might as well make the list: grandmother officially went blind and moved in with my parents, after years of dealing with chronic depression I finally got help and went on anti-depressants, these fucked me up so good that I failed many classes and dropped out of a highly prestigious college, I moved back in with my parent which is the one thing that everyone I know advised I don't do, my uncle died of cancer at the ripe age of 52, leaving behind my aunt and my 6 year old cousin.\n\nWhen I put it that way, this has been a pretty shitty year.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I know 2009 was a shitty year for a lot of people. I can't necessarily relate to all the bad stuff that happened to you, but I do know this:\n\n* Be optimistic. It's just easier.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "- Got together with the girl I was madly in love with back in June (+100)\n- Finally got my first job (+15)\n- Had money to spend thanks to finally getting my first job (+15)\n- Got good AS Levels (+10)\n- Turned 18 (+18)\n- Got an offer to my top university choice (+20)\n- Had the first argument with my girlfriend on New Years Eve/New Years Day. (-2)\n\nAll in all, a good year. A very good year.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I was going to come here to post a self-pitying post about how awful it was, how both my grandmothers passed away, how I worked my ass off and didn't really see much in return, and how I ended up losing friends over stupid things...when I realized, it's not worth it to rehash the past. I'm happy, I'm healthy, I'm alive, I'm getting married in 15 days (in Korea, no less), and life is just beginning for me. \n\nReading everyone else's posts, I realize that things are not that bad for me. All of you who had shitty years - you're in my prayers and thoughts.\n\n2009 sucked, sure...but so did 2008, 2007, 2006...every year has had its downs, but the best thing is that I still have a family that loves me, I'm well-fed (perhaps too well-fed...ugh), and I'm on a path to give myself happiness for the rest of my life. Shit, I got engaged to a wonderful woman - and we're going to have a wonderful life together.\n\nIn conclusion, fuck you 2009. 2010's in now.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "2009 was without a doubt the worst year of my life. well the latter half anyway..\n\nOct/November - Lost my fit/healthy Dad to liver cancer at 55yrs old after being given a 2yr prognosis he was gone in 6 weeks!\n\nDecember - found out my wife of 15yrs has been cheating on me, changed the locks on the house, she then proceeded to smash up the last thing my Dad bought me before he died.\n\nWe have 10+11yr old kids that desperately want us to patch things up & this breaks my heart.\n\nSo yeah go fuck your \"09\" self good riddance & dont catch your ass on the way out..\n\nHeres hoping for a brighter 2010!\n\n", "score": 5 }, { "body": "2009 can run up a tree. 2010's where it's at. I've already broken my two-and-a-half-year sexless streak so it's by default already 10000000x better than last year or the year before.\n\nThat's right: I HAD SEX LAST NIGHT HOOOOOORAYYYYYYYY!", "score": 5 }, { "body": "2009 really sucked. I loved, I lost (mostly lost), graduated from college, got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, stayed in the same job all year (that makes two years for this job, yay!), dated around more than should be healthy, and made my final decision to leave the country and move to Australia.\n\nI give it about a 4 out of 10. \n\nI have a date tomorrow (today?) so that should ring in the new year nicely. BRING IT 2010.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "technically the decade isn't over yet... it still has a whole year to make it right for you (yes, it's that whole is 2000 or 2001 the new millenium all over again ;-) )", "score": 4 }, { "body": "It was decent on my part. Had a few events that really brought me down but I guess it was the year that I stopped being such a hermit and got a bit social for once.", "score": 4 }, { "body": " Yea it did suck\n * Haven't had a job for the past year (-1)\n * Second suicide attempt failed (-1)\n * Went to a program to fiqure out my life (+10)\n * Was going pretty good til I decided I didn't want to live anymore(-10)\n * Got kicked out of that program for attempted suicide (-10)\n * 6 Living back home with parents (-1)\n * Baby bro turned 1 year old (+10)\n \n\n So a score of -3 hmm lol ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "finished uni (+1)\ngraduated with a B. Mm (Business Marketing) (+1)\nmoved out of home with a friend (+1)\nfriend ended up being a selfish bitch, we no longer talk (+10)\npity is she took my best mate with her (-5)\nraked up a credit card debt (-10)\nmoved back home (-10)\ngot an amazing job with amazing people (+50)\nboyfriend bought a house, moved in together (+50)\n\nNo one died, and I pretty much gained knowledge/love/friendships this year rather than losing them. The ones lost hurt a lot but my life is so much better without them. \nLet's hope 2010 is better, and more organised.\n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Several family members died this year, but I made new good memories, paid off a nice chunk of debt, learned a lot about myself, and am optimistic about the future.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "best year ever. I earned my PhD in Neuroscience, got engaged, got married, moved to California, sold my house for a nice profit, got a great job, and lost 25lbs.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I definitely got boned a few times in 2009.\n\nMostly my own fault though. Still, fuck you 2009. See ya never.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "For me, it was the year a lot of relatives died (I include late 2008).\n\nMorals of the story: Don't drive when you're tired; and smoking causes cancer. I lost a lot of friends/family last year to the latter.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The worst experience(s) of 2009 for me: being screwed over by multiple females, both of which I had feelings for and one of whom I considered one of my closest friends.\n \nSo yes, 2009 can go die in a fire. :<\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "2009 was such a shitty year for me \r\n\r\n-The whole year my family was broke and i couldnt get a job because i cant afford a car. Though im making money online so i can pull my self up.\r\n\r\n-My christmas was shitty like most of my holidays. My parents faught over bills again and my dad was a real douche. The sad part is my dad lost his money from gambeling and cost our whole family. My family is only together right now because were forced to. My mom and dad will end up getting a divorce. \r\n\r\n-The girl i liked started dating this douchebag.\r\n\r\n-My acne got worse because my dad once again fucked up and took the money for acutane and spent it on shit. He refuses to tell me what.\r\n\r\n-I didnt see my friend the whole year\r\n\r\n-I cant work out, find any real healthy foods in the house so my energy for anything including sex, work, and overall good mood ect is down. It feels like i went from 16 to 40 at times. Once i start working out i will feel like i did before.\r\n\r\n-My mom is being a bitch about everything.\r\n\r\n-My parents still treat me like im 5 when im 18 and graduated highschool.\r\n\r\n-Whenever i go around i see guys my age having fun doing shit i want to do and im with my mom helping her do shit. Im sick of it i want to be independent and on my own and never talk to my family again and that will be it and me fucking chicks and shit while living with my best friend.\r\n\r\n2010 will be a good year i cant wait for a fresh start i feel better already. I dreaded 2009 just a terrible year for me all around. I cant wait till i start making money online and living on my own working out and see my Seattle mariners make it to the playoffs. \r\n\r\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Motorbike accident (someone turned out into my lane when they were 5m from me, brand new less than 3 month old bike destroyed, insured luckily).\n\nLost my job.\n\nDidn't get the 3 jobs I applied for. \n\nCar accident. \n\nOld coworker had stroke\n\nMonth later another coworker at same place had his wife die in her sleep (only early 50's).\n\nXmas eve, brother of friend down the road died (heart attack, he was only 30).\n\nXmas day, brothers girlrfiends grandma dies.\n\n\nFuck 2009.\n\n\n(reading a few others here, I didn't have it that bad. Still, it sucked, good riddance to an awful year).", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Finished high school, got into college, got a great girlfriend, got a load of great gadgets, made decent money on a steady job...\r\n\r\nBut I still have a feeling that the year sucked.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Life is difficult, who ever said it was supposed to be easy? http://www.noogenesis.com/pineapple/Taoist_Farmer.html", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Graduated from medicine. W0000t +1\nNo GF -1\ngot tubby -1\nGot drunk and said fucked up things to friends -1\nfinally making amends with my dad +1\n\n\n\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Well, my year hasnt been as bad as some but its definitely been about setting up 2010 to be a lot better.\n\n- finally went into counselling to rid myself of the demons of how unpleasant my dad was towards me all my life. Not physically abusive but emotionally, mentally & spiritually which is why we hadnt spoken for the last 12 years and very tenuously before that.\n\n- my dad died on my nieces birthday in October (& 3 days before I entered counselling) so all the questions I had about why he was the way he was towards me will go unanswered and all the knowledge he had about grandparents, etc. dies with him as he refused to talk about them/the past.\n\n- split with a woman that I fell for, and at the time she was starting fights about the littlest thing and accusing me of being suspicious of her (I wasnt) but I believe the guy she is seeing now, she was banging before we split (and its her cousins exBF who were together for +6 years and split a few months before - oh so very incestuous) and now I have seen that she is a really flakey person anyway.\n\n- it really hit me that I had cut myself off from a lot of people in my life but it was a deliberate move as I had outgrown those people and the lifestyle they were leading, so it wasnt so bad once I saw it like that.\n\nOn the upside...\n\n- Finally set an approximate date to go on a world cycling trip (September 2010)\n- Found out I will receive a 5 figure sum from the winding up of my dads estate/financial affairs.\n- All the anger Ive held for the majority of my life is now slowly dissipating \n- I've now turned 40 (today) but I still feel like Im in my early 20's but I now have a lot more optimism rather than the pessimism Ive believed was apart of my personality.\n\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Both my grandpas died in 2009, got in two pretty bad accidents neither was my fault nor my friends who was driving the other time. alot of other negative happened to my family died. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Two bad romantic rejections, a twenty four hour round trip (by car) to Columbus, OH that turned out to be a total waste of time and money, my cat died, and my sister was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Not a good year. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Honestly 2009 has been like a bad country song- Divorce (cheated on), roof started leaking, dumped (relationship after divorce), heat pump went out, had my wii stolen..\n\nyup- sucked.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The only good thing I can think of about 2009 is that I managed to surprise my doctors and live through the whole year.\n\nBut a new year brings new hope. And maybe a new decade will even bring ten times as much hope! =)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "+ Graduated (+)\n- Horrible economy (-)\n+ Getting a job (+)\n- Still living at home because I'm making the most money in my family and I'm helping everyone (-)\n- Still single (-)\n- Friends aren't really there for me (-)\n+ Gained some weight...but I'm feeling good about it. My body feels good. (+)\n- Car accident...but car still runs (-)\n\nThat's all that I've really got.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Ya, I gained about 25 lbs, got robbed....twice, second time they stole my 42 IN HDTV, XBOX 360 and all my games. Truck broke a bunch, and got a sweet job that turned out to be nothing like it was supposed to be that I since quit. GOODBYE 2009!", "score": 3 }, { "body": "2009 has been the worst year in my 34 year old life. Said: \"Fuck it!\". Came to Thailand 4 days ago. So far this seems to be my best year ever.\n\n\nBTW: I'm bipolar and from Norway.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "hmm lets see what I can remember... \nbeing hideously behind with uni work (-10) \nArguments with flatmates (-10) \nReconciling with flatmates (+10) \nblanked by girl in club I had been seeing (-10) \nRealise I have no idea how to model my 3d assignment (-5) \nPassing said assignment (+10) \nnext to no-one turning up for my birthday (-15) \nargument with people that did turn up (-10) \nmissing transformers film due to argument (-10) \nfinding out I failed the year of uni (-20) \nresubmitting work and not having it marked (-20) \nawesome tutor sorting out their mistake and passing me (+30) \nmove in with awesome people in the flat (+10) \nmore arguing (-10) \nfixing it up (+10) \nmeeting awesome flat of girls across the hall (+50) \nsnowflake ball (Christmas formal) being best yet (+10) \nblizzard on drive home for Christmas (-10) \nseeing no-one from back home over Christmas (-10) \nnew years alone (-20) \nstill single (-10) \n\nthat makes -40. woop. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "It was the worst year of my life. The only plus sides were that I got into college, but nothing really happened that made this year worth while. \n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "2009 was the worst year of my life. no money. my mother sucks. countless vet visits for my frenchie pup. no friends. two pets died. my cousin died and more. bleh.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "2009 was the worst year I've ever had.\n\nstarted with our traitional party for new years and we all ended up fist fighting. I then losy my favorite apartment in a sacrifice for my then gf who I thought I'd marry but we split up. I lost my dad. Lost my job. Watched my life and my friends lives fall apart. It sucked.\n\nbut so far 2010 is the best.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Originally, double-spacing was for asthetic value. Later, when typing was in its infancy, single-spacing reduced typing load and conserved space, making it cost-effective. When computer word-processing came along, the double-spacing was not a drain on space or asthetics and therefore was brought back into wide usage, based on the traditional rules. Nowadays, space is once again at a premium due to per-character/per space charges on many devices; in the mainstream, it began with pagers and evolved to sms - because bandwidth is valuable real estate, so to speak. \r\n\r\nI still do it, even though many others dont.", "score": 150 }, { "body": "I am a notorious double spacer. According to [Grammar Girl](http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/spaces-period-end-of-sentence.aspx), it had to do with the monospaced fonts that typewriters used - every letter or punctuation took up the same amount of room, so the double space made sense.", "score": 142 }, { "body": "I was taught that. And until right now I thought it was the only right way. I'm both scared and confused.", "score": 69 }, { "body": "As someone who typesets books for a living; don't do it. The gaps on the page look awful. And when I have to take your word file and remove all the double-spaces, it can get very tedious and annoying (thank god for \"Find/Change\"). That being said, a lot of people still do it, but it isn't necessary any more. ", "score": 41 }, { "body": "With a monospaced font, the extra space after a period helps visually indicate the end of a sentence. Back when I took typing (we had manual typewriters in the classroom so you have some notion how long ago this was) one kid in class fussed about the extra spaces, so we were told to type the Gettysburg Address with double-spaces after the periods and with just single spaces after the periods. (Kids used to have to memorize the Gettysburg Address in school.)\n\nIt definitely made a difference in how readable the result was. Modern equipment with variable-width characters usually sticks in a little extra space automatically, but I type the double spaces anyway because I've been doing it that way for more than 45 years now.\n\nNow get off my lawn.\n", "score": 37 }, { "body": "[Here's the Wikipedia article on the subject.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_spacing_at_the_end_of_sentences)", "score": 26 }, { "body": "Double spaces after a period is sill required in all Canadian Forces written reports and returns. \n\nCan't spell officer without office... fuck.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "Double spacing is wrong after a period. A computer is not a typewriter. It looks trashy and unbalanced. But yes, I was taught to write this way.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Yes I was taught this and I still do it. I personally think it looks much better and helps separate the sentences. There are some web sites which take out the double tap spacing. You know what? It drives me insane. It doesn't bother me if other people don't double tap, but I prefer my own writings to be written a particular way.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "I already knew how to type when they attempted to teach me again in those classes. I just blazed through the mavis beacon or whatever it was program without the right posture.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "I put two spaces after a period, and it drives me nuts when I see people write with only one space after a period. Many people are commenting on historical significance and typewriters vs. typesetting, etc. This is not why this bothers me. Did you happen to notice what I did in that sentence? If you are used to two spaces after the end of a sentence (or period or question mark or exclamation point), then you probably digested the text just fine. If you are used to only one space after a sentence break, then your mental processor may have hiccuped on \"typewriter vs.\" You see, a period is not just used for a sentence break. It is also used to abbreviate, so a period can go anywhere. So, a single space after a period indicates that the sentence isn't over. Whenever I use use 'etc.', I find that is is usually at the end of a sentence, so the period serves as not only the abbreviation but also the sentence break. The two spaces after that period serve to seal the deal.\n\ntl;dr: It doesn't matter what you were taught or why. Two spaces indicates the end of a sentence and makes the text easier to read.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Two spaces:\n\n> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.   Etiam bibendum, massa sed interdum porttitor, est ante ultricies nulla, ac scelerisque enim nisi a erat.   Fusce quis metus eu purus porta mattis.   Mauris tristique ante eu quam ultrices elementum.   Nunc commodo, turpis ac euismod ultricies, quam erat sagittis nibh, ac eleifend quam ipsum at libero.   Mauris id ante erat, et rutrum magna.   Etiam egestas dapibus euismod.   Fusce a orci ac lectus malesuada sollicitudin sit amet vitae eros.   Quisque ipsum nisi, molestie ut commodo lacinia, scelerisque ut lectus.   Aenean in arcu ut libero tempor rutrum.   Etiam et orci luctus velit consequat malesuada sit amet quis ligula.   Duis condimentum porttitor ultrices.   Pellentesque orci neque, convallis quis condimentum non, mattis eu eros.\n\nOne space:\n\n> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam bibendum, massa sed interdum porttitor, est ante ultricies nulla, ac scelerisque enim nisi a erat. Fusce quis metus eu purus porta mattis. Mauris tristique ante eu quam ultrices elementum. Nunc commodo, turpis ac euismod ultricies, quam erat sagittis nibh, ac eleifend quam ipsum at libero. Mauris id ante erat, et rutrum magna. Etiam egestas dapibus euismod. Fusce a orci ac lectus malesuada sollicitudin sit amet vitae eros. Vivamus euismod tempor metus mollis feugiat. Aenean in arcu ut libero tempor rutrum. Etiam et orci luctus velit consequat malesuada sit amet quis ligula. Duis condimentum porttitor ultrices. Pellentesque orci neque, convallis quis condimentum non, mattis eu eros.\n\nWhich one doesn't look stupid?", "score": 8 }, { "body": "When writing in [French](http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponctuation#Les_espaces_autour_des_signes_de_ponctuation), I have to make sure I put an extra space before any double punctuation mark (; : ! ?). When writing in English, I have to make sure I don't do the same. Two languages, two sets of typographic rules. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I was taught the same thing. The reason is simple. It separates sentences better. Commas separate phrases or items on a list and only use one space.\n\nRules? I don't need no stinking rules!", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Yes, unfortunately. It used to be the standard for MLA format-- that changes every single year. It is completely unnecessary now though.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Yes, I was taught this and nearly always do it. I think it makes text look smoother and easier to read.\n\n", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Double-spacing is not needed in 2010, and has not been needed ever since we stopped using monospaced typewriters. Double-spacing does NOT improve readability. Can we all move on now? ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Why do you think it's stupid? That extra little bit of space between sentences makes text more readable.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Any graphic designer considers it a typo, yet many copywriters find some weird pride in doing it wrong. I can't even say how many times this has come up in my career.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Yes we are taught that. And on the iphone if you hit the space bar twice after a word it automatically puts the period in for you.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I was taught typing on an IBM Selectric typewriter, and yes. Those devices used monospaced typefaces, so the extra space helped to set off the sentence breaks. Since the advent of computer typography with proportional fonts, hyphenation, kerning, and all that good stuff, it is no longer necessary, so if you are typing in Word or some other word processor it is no longer needed (or wanted). In fact, I no longer do it even when writing plain text e-mail either.\n\nDouble-spacing also, IIRC, had a tendency to screw with proper line breaking in early versions of Word.\n\nI was a computer support person in my school's computer lab way-back-when in the early days of word processing, when the Apple LaserWriter and PageMaker were brand new things. I wrote booklets teaching students how to format papers with Word (for example, how to use tabs instead of spaces, center alignment of headings instead of spaces, etc.) The use of spaces to line things up was a constant problem, since laying out text on-screen using spaces would often result in printed pages that didn't align at all the way they did on the screen. (Some of this was due to font substitution, or fractional spacing issues; WYSISYG in the early days was pretty approximate, if you didn't follow the rules and use the right fonts).\n\nDon't get me started on students who padded their 3-page papers by bringing in the margins and using 14 point text. Instructors had to get hip to that stuff very quickly and produce style guides.\n\nThere was a book that came out way-back-when about this: http://www.amazon.com/Mac-Not-Typewriter-Professional-Level-Macintosh/dp/0938151312", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I was taught to do this. My wife mocks me for it, because she says it's not required. I still do it.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Yes, i didn't listen to what they said though. I never listen to what people say, i am pretty bad ass.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Once upon a time in ancient history (mid 1950s) when I first learned to type using a Remington manual typewriter, I recall that the convention was 2 spaces after the end of a sentence.\n\nThen came computers. In the 1970s through the early 1990s I wrote many specifications and and other manuals using mainframe \"Script\" in its various incarnations from early Waterloo Script to IBM DCF/Script. Mainframe Script was a markup style language (not a WYSIWYG thing); tags were fully visible in the editor. A post processor formatted the document using the tags and generated the table of contents, indices and the like. -- Much like DocBook XML does today.\n\nThough it has been a while, I do recall that somewhere in the documentation for at least one instance of Script there was an admonition NOT to use two spaces following a sentence. The docs said that redundant whitespace was deleted from paragraphs and depending on the font the document used and a target printer's capability, the post processing rendering would insert the appropriate spacing following a sentence. Again, vague recall says that for fixed width fonts there were two spaces. For variable width fonts, the spacing was 1.5em, or the like. -- The intent, I recall was to replicate what was then specified in \"The Chicago Manual of Style\" for sentence end spacing.\n\nOf course, I could be wrong. It has been a long time since I messed with DCF/Script. -- The underlying principle is that a document author is NOT a typesetter. They typesetting, and publising rule enforcement, is left to the post processing automation where it can be reasonably automated.\n\n**Citations** \n\nWikipedia on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chicago_Manual_of_Style\n\nThe horses mouth (behind a paywall. Asshats!): \nhttp://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html\n\nspecifically, sentence end spacing: \nhttp://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/access/intercept.epl?path=/ch06/ch06_sec011.html\n\nand: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/access/intercept.epl?path=/ch02/ch02_sec012.html\n\n**Edit:** Thanks to the followup from Moz my memory of actual rules fails again. Thanks for the correction.\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "i usually double space after periods when i'm writing papers for school, just so i can fill the page as much as possible", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Yes I still do it. Look into kerning and its ability to make the written word easier to read if you want a reason for this behavior.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I was taught this a long time ago in elementary school (I'm 20). I stopped doing it because it was stupid.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I have to say that I'm very intrigued about the psychology going on with a lot of people here - it seems like if they were taught double spacing is correct, then anything that's not double spaced was terrible to read (or at least, not as good as double spacing, the way THEY learned it)\n\nreading books must have been horrible...", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Yes I do it all the time because I was taught to. Funny word doesn't seem to know I was taught this and critisizes me everytime I do it.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The reason for this was because on the typewriter, which has letters of equal widths, the period was obviously not as big as one whole letter, so you needed more space to separate it from the next letter. Nowadays, thanks to kerning and graphic typography in general, the double space is unnecessary. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": ">go back and remove the extra spaces\n\nWhat about using a script that runs every time you save to replace double-spaces with single-spaces? Or do you choose doing it manually as a learning experience?", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Same here, middle school double space still with me. It seems odd to even think about doing it differently. Hmmm", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Yes and I still do. I also put two spaces between the state and zip code on US addresses which nobody seems to do anymore.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I was taught this in elementary school. I decided it was stupid and pointless and never did it. It seems that's now the de facto way to write papers. I got into a heated debate with someone over this very topic last year. With them insisting they double space after a period on a group paper. I insisted it was retarded and no one does that anymore and that it was a relic of the typewriter era. \n\nWe asked an English professor. She said the rule is archaic and not used anymore. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "In a Chinese restaurant, just sat down for food, and my senile granny realises that she has left her specs in her coat. \"excuse me, excuse me, little yellow man, would you be so kind as to get my spectacles from my coat\". ", "score": 42 }, { "body": "As I stated in another comment, I work in an ER, where it's not at all uncommon to be accused of being a racist because you don't tell black patients/family members the code to the pantry so they can help themselves to all the juice and sandwiches they want.\n\nBut it really gets fun in our psych/drunk area when you have a room full of testosterone but devoid of inhibition. Just tonight, one of our nurses was telling a story about how this one obnoxiously drunk white dude kept going on about nigger this, nigger that, despite being surrounded by drunk and/or mentally ill black patients. She got fed up and whispered \"shut the fuck up or I will kick your ass and there's not a soul in this room that'll stop me\" just loud enough for him to hear it...\n\n...or so she thought, because from the other side of the curtain, another patient chimed in, \"DO IT! Whoop his ass!\"", "score": 22 }, { "body": "Didn't happen to me: My friend (female asian) and her white boyfriend were out to lunch at a yum cha restaurant with his parents. His mum apparently kept nudging her husband and pointing at the wait staff making comments like \"look how flat their faces are, it's incredible\" and \"why aren't they wearing those pointy hats? they always wear them in the movies\". Also, every time one of the ladies came up with a trolley and offered them something she said \"i don't understand her ching chong language, what's she saying?\".\n\nEvery time my friend pointed out that she was asian, his mum would say \"oh not you love, you're normal.\"\n\nEDIT: grammar.", "score": 19 }, { "body": "Unfortunately, I did this when I was younger and didn't know any better, I was approximately 12 years old:\r\n\r\nMy sister invited her black friend over to my Grandfather's house for dinner, which consisted of me, my parents, my Grandfather and his wife, and my sister's friend.\r\n\r\nEverything was going good, then I, for some God-forsaken reason, asked the black girl if she wished we were having fried chicken and watermelon instead. There was an awkward silence, followed by my sister apologizing, and me being banished from the dinner table for the night. \r\n\r\nThe black girl never forgave me, and her gorgeous sister hated me too. I felt like a jackass, and still do. I didn't know what it meant back then, I hung out with rednecks back then, and since I played basketball often, my friends DID eat fried chicken and watermelon who were black. I just didn't understand the racial implications.", "score": 18 }, { "body": "White college student that waited tables in a Chinese restaurant. At least once a week I got \"What's a white guy doing servin' food in a Chinese restaurant?\" (white people) My reply was always \"Don't Worry the mexicans in duh kitchen will cook you some gooooood Chinese food\" It always threw the racists for a loop, for a second. While in all honestly the cooks/owners were Laotian.\n\nedit: bad English (oh the irony)", "score": 15 }, { "body": "I live in a university town which means a lot of students in the town centre on a night out, two months ago we were walking through when a man ran past us with a busted lip.\n\n\nThen another couple with various injuries, followed by 3 boys jogging after then (Tailing off) with injuries and blood over their knuckles, only noticed that because they'd stopped to talk to us.\n\n\nThey were shouting \"Fucking spanish cunts. Coming over here taking our university places. Fuck off back to spain you fucking cunts\"... They then turned to us, and were like \"I can't believe how many of them there fucking are here, in our country.\"\n\n\nThen they saw one of my friends, who is Indian. They turned to him and said \"You're not from here are you?\", at which point 5 of us had to look very angry and tell him he'd been living here for years and that they should leave it.\n\n\nVery uncomfortable to stand there with a man who has blood all over him trying to determine if a friend is in order for a beating.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "I went to a 99.9% white rural high school. Recently 2 or 3 black kids had gotten in trouble at the nearest city school and were sent to my school. This caused a lot of problems. The white kids began starting fights, the black kids kept to themselves unless provoked. It was crazy. The most vivid of these fights: we were standing near the vending machines talking after lunch but before our next class. A pregnant white girl started a verbal fight with a black girl, and then she started hitting her. The black girl grabbed the white girl, pick her up over her head, and threw her against the wall. Then she took her UNOPENED can of Sprite and smashed it in half over the girl's head. This all happened in a matter of seconds about 10 feet from where I was standing. \n", "score": 9 }, { "body": "When I was in a work exploration class last year, this girl was talking about her boyfriend. She was white trash in every sense of the word, complete with wanting to please God (even though she's known for drugs and breaking the law whenever she can). So someone asked her if her boyfriend was black (because she thought she saw her with a black guy), and she started screaming \"HELL NAW MY BOYFRIEND AIN'T BLACK, HE AIN'T NO DIRTY NIGGER, THAT'S DISGUSTING! I WOULD NEVER BEEN SEEN WITH NO DIRTY NIGGER I DON'T WANNA CATCH ANY DISEASES!\" The whole class went silent and slowly looked over at Chris, the only black kid in our class, who seemed surprisingly calm... Calmer than the rest of us anyway. Also, I sat next to her, so, that was uncomfortable.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "In Chinese, the word for \"that\" is \"nigga.\" I was in China at a conference with a caucasian from Alabama and an african-american from New York. The southern guy kept hearing me say the word \"nigga\" when I was talking in Chinese and, in front of the guy from New York, said, \"That's cool!\" He proceeded to point at the black New Yorker saying, \"Nigga, nigga!\" Dude was not amused. ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Try visiting a nursing home in Atlanta where most of the staff is black and there are white elders (mostly guys) who use the word \"nigger\".", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Granted this is not 'public' so to speak but still about as rasict as you can get.\n\n\nI was raised to believe black people were not allowed to live in our town. I'm unsure if it was u of as a 'joke' to tell me but I do remember nobody of any color other than white went to our po-dunk elementary school. \n\n\nIn high school there was a lovely black girl who was paid with my cousin for a science project. My granny would not allow the girl inside her house. They had to stay out on the front porch. I remember being just appalled and dumbfounded at the time.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Standing at a gas station in suburban Alabama there was an older black guy, a white guy, then me. I'm half white, but look as caucasian as anyone. The older guy was having trouble counting his change to pay for his gas because his hands were shaking. It took some time, but he finally finished and left. When he did, the guy in front of me turned to me and said, \"Fucking niggers,\" and started laughing his ass off. I was so taken aback I couldn't even speak. I still wish to this day I'd said something but I don't know what it would have been. Pretty sure it wouldn't have made any difference to him though.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I was walking to the bus stop not two days ago when this black gangster type walking in the opposite direction looks me right in the eye and says \"I only drink white liquor cuz I'm RACIST!\" I, a white guy, just sorta shrugged at him I had no idea what to say. It was so bizarre. Then he said \"J K, I only drink brown liquor cuz it tastes better.\"\n\nUnless he means clear liquor like vodka, I have no idea what he could have been talking about. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "There ARE some real advantages to LCDs over CRTs. But several are not among the reasons most people think of when buying LCDs.\n\n\nSome people will notice a very annoying flicker on computer monitor CRTs, which isn't present on LCDs. When I had cataracts forming in my eyes, that flicker became unbearable to me, and forced me onto LCDs, which don't show such a flicker.\n\n\nAs the place I live can get very hot in the summer, and I try to minimize air conditioning costs, I also appreciated the less heat generated by LCDs, compared to CRTs. And the power bill for an LCD may be less, too.\n\n\nThe lighter weight of LCDs over CRTs of similar display size makes it lots easier to move them around when necessary. The almost non-existent depth compared to CRTs means you can use a LCD monitor more easily in a cramped space or on a shallow desk than a CRT. And you'll have more room on the same desk for peripherals like scanners or printers, too.\n\n\nThe LEAST advantage of LCDs is what most people are actually buying them for these days: HD TV image quality.\n\n\nAnyone who examines the image quality of a large CRT against a similar size large LCD side by side may be astonished at how little difference there is in picture quality, if both are playing something like a HD DVD. The CRT will be just ever so slightly more blurry than the LCD in tiny details-- but you have to really look close to notice it. In most viewing the difference is truly negligible. There's actual side by side comparisons of this on the internet if you want to look them up.\n\n\nThe main reason for the big industry switch to HD is to free up bandwidth in cable and signals for other things-- NOT to make picture quality a whole lot better for viewers.\n\n\nBy far the biggest image difference in LCDs over CRTs is going to be allowing the viewer to more conveniently see films in their full theatrical width (rectangular) as opposed to the normal square of a CRT. On CRTs you either get the sides of the film chopped off, or have to watch a miniature version horizontal strip to fit it all onscreen. THIS is the biggest image advantage of LCDs, and I think CRTs can't match it, because CRTs MUST be square, or close to it. \n\n\nIt's possible LCDs may also be scaled up to huge sizes too, which would be impractical for CRT technology (so LCDs will offer ever bigger screens than CRTs can).\n\n\nHowever, other technologies can, do, and will outperform LCDs in various ways, just like LCDs are outperforming CRTs. For instance, projectors.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I have a porn store employee joke..\n\nA guy sees a help wanted sign in the window of the porn shop and goes in.\nThe boss is pleased someone is interested in the job and hires him on the spot. Shows him how the register works real quick, says everything has a price tag on it then leaves. \n\nThe first customer is a lady that has obviously never been in a sex shop.\nShe is looking to buy a vibrator. She start small at first and ask how much is that little pink one. The clerk says \"its 19.99\". She looks at and decides it will not do the job and hands it back to the clerk.\n\nHow much is that shinny chrome model? The clerk says that is the silver rocket and it is 29.99. Then she notices the big black one on the next self and ask about the price. The clerk says, thats the black mamba and it cost a whopping 49.99. She is just about to purchase the black one when she notices a huge red/plaid model sitting at the end of the counter. \n\nWhen she inquires about the price the clerk can not find one so he just say $100 of the top of his head and she says \"I'll take it\".\n\nA few minutes latter the boss returns and ask \"How did it go while I was out?\" \n\nThe clerk says \"I not sure about all this porn stuff, but I got $100 for your Thermos\" ", "score": 179 }, { "body": "Please provide examples of the following:\n\n1- Largest dildo.\n\n2- Largest amount of cum cleaned.\n\n3- Weirdest machine/device.\n\n4- Weirdest prop.\n\n5- Weirdest customer.", "score": 118 }, { "body": "Have you ever seen any truly beautiful girls walk in the store to make a purchase or use the theatre? And if so, do they ever come in by themselves or with another guy?", "score": 83 }, { "body": "I have a friend who also works at a porn store as a clerk and is responsible for cleaning the booths. He is an amazing story teller and *always* has something new for us. Maybe I can convince him to get a Reddit account and share some of the more crazy ones.\n\nFor example, last night he got home from his closing shift, got on ventrilo, and told us about an incident involving strawberry Carmex lip balm, a condom, and a Nerf football. This would be an example of an every-day story.\n\nAnd then there was the time a crazy lady came in demanding an order history for a particular dildo that had been sold 8 years ago. She believed this dildo had been used as a *weapon in the murder of her son*.", "score": 82 }, { "body": "What are your personal views on pornography? Do you consume a lot of it?\n\nDo you view your occupation as a job or as a profession? \n\nDo your friends and family all know where you work? \n\nIf so, how have they reacted?\n\nWhat would you most like to tell us that we haven't yet thought of asking?\n\nThanks!", "score": 67 }, { "body": "when I was a freshman in college (Circa late '90's, early 2000's) the local porn store used to have a huge banner advertising cashier jobs for $15/hr. When I asked them why they were offering so much for a cashier position, they said they were simply looking for really really dependable people. something didn't seem right to me so I never applied. Am I better for having not applied or did I turn down a lucrative part time job possibility for a poor college student?", "score": 45 }, { "body": "Craziest and most interesting story? What's the typical customer like? How much business do you get in the middle of the night? Ever see anyone you know personally come into the store? ", "score": 42 }, { "body": "* Anyone ever sexually proposition you in the store? \n* Ever run into feces, blood or dirty needles in the arcade? \n* Have you ever personally used those video booths for what they're meant for, either on your own time or store time?\n* What is your blood type?\n* Can condoms protect you from radiation (I can ask you anything, remember, you said it)?", "score": 37 }, { "body": "Googling Porn store returns this as the third result, congrats Smut Slinger :)\n\nhhttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=porn+store&aq=f&oq=&aqi=", "score": 28 }, { "body": "Have you ever been in a situation where you actually felt threatened? Been robbed? Attacked? Do you have a panic button in case such a situation occurs?", "score": 22 }, { "body": "I'd just like to thank you for all the insights you've so far provided, lots of great questions and answers that come with an interesting job like that. \n\nGood luck with the rest of 2010! :)", "score": 21 }, { "body": "Thanks for doing the IAMA and also have a great new year. I've a couple of questions..\n\n1. How many women, what age, do you see in your store?\n2. I've noticed that jizz leaves stains on my briefs. You also mentioned you use a lot of bleach. What's the procedure to clean out jizz stains so that it doesn't leave a mark?", "score": 17 }, { "body": "Do you often catch someone getting/giving a sly blowjob, handjob in store? How do you react to the situation ?", "score": 14 }, { "body": "Does your girlfriend know about your job, and if so what does she think about you working there? Any insecurities about you seeing porn stars at work all day and her not measuring up, or about you wanting her to do things you see in the movies she doesn't want to do?\n", "score": 14 }, { "body": "I used to run the theater in one of those places. There was also a clerk and a manager to round out the staff. Turns out the 'Big Boss' was some asshole mafia guy who was so lame, he went out and bought a brand new Rolls Royce (gold, of course) the day after his pic and story was on the front page of the Philly Inquirer. Then he got shot in the face. But not until he had Joseph Horahan, our Pagan store manager, killed over some kind of side deals. Hands down, the most 'interesting' place I ever worked. \n\nIs your store directly mafia owned? Do they send out-of-town-murderers to lay low at *your* store? (Frank, the guy with the baseball bat. Don't ask) Is the 'merchandise' still as cheesy as it used to be? Do you also have peep holes in the back of the film booths?\n", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Take a blacklight into one of the booths and from then on you'll check the ceiling for drips before you walk in.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "With all the free porn on the internet in just about every flavor imaginable, I wonder why people still buy porn at a store?", "score": 8 }, { "body": "You've talked about people fucking each other. Would you say it's guaranteed if you work there long enough?", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Pick a few regular customers and describe them to me - their mannerisms, habits, your relationship with them, how you deal with them individually, etc.\n\nAlso, did you read the True Porn Clerk Stories, a blog kept by a female porn clerk, that was popular online a few years back?", "score": 6 }, { "body": "never, ever, ever, ever hold a 24oz homemade dildo over your head. ESPECIALLY if its not yours. seriously. tell your friend that. please.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Thank you kind sir for you have provided me with more laughs than my whole New Years with a dysfunctional Japanese in-laws, in the freezing cold could provide. ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I can't believe anyone goes to a store for this stuff with all the stuff available online. Care to give us an example of what a store can provide that you cannot get online?", "score": 5 }, { "body": "On the technical side of things, what are your theatres like? Screen size, projector?\n\nNever been in one, but I'm curious.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Has anyone ever been confrontational with you when you try to kick them out?\n\nReading some of your responses it seems like you deal with some sketchy people. Do you get to have any weapons or stuff in case you have a serious mental case to deal with?", "score": 4 }, { "body": "So do you ever get naked people coming in?\n\nIs your manager pretty good or a drug addict kind of guy?", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Anybody know of a cheap copy of Rosetta Stone: French? I need to say dirty/complimentary things to this woman and I feel unprepared.", "score": 12 } ]

[ { "body": "During my internship in Seattle in spring of 2009, I got spoiled by the [Seattle real-time 911](http://www2.seattle.gov/fire/realTime911/getRecsForDatePub.asp?action=Today&incDate=&rad1=des) site.\n\nWish it was everywhere. :)\n\nEDIT: Forgot [this link](http://www.public911.com/911/) which is using the data from my first link...", "score": 5 }, { "body": "**tl;dr** website to help you store and manage your collections of quotes, jokes, pieces of trivia, etc.\n\n***\n\nI have a `quotes.txt`, a `jokes.txt` and a `movies_to_see.txt`. That isn't the way I want it to be. There should be a website where can I put each of these lists into its own database, tag and organise everything, and add more whenever I feel like it.\n\nThere isn't, as far as I can find. A blog offers what I want but far too much else besides. I could just create a database, but I don't want a blinking cursor and SQL commands; I want something white, shiny, ajax-y and ridiculously easy to use. A website.\n\nI can't make it, but I'm sure a lot of you guys have the skills. It doesn't seem like it would be very hard. And you would corner the market on people like me, who collect pieces of information and simply want a decent way to organise them. Steal this idea.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I had those same fears when I was your age. I used to have mini-panic attacks when I thought about it. It was so terrifying.\n\nA few things have helped me move on since then:\n\n1) I fell madly in love with this girl, and one night, lying in bed next to her, I realized that death only scared me because of the idea of it being a SOLITARY nothingness. But then I realized that if eternity was just like the inky blackness of lying in bed next to this girl I love, that doesn't scare me at all. And why should eternal death be lonely? All your loved ones are, or will be, sharing it with you.\n\nTo clarify: I don't believe in an afterlife, but why is it any more valid to picture a lonely inky-black nothingness, than to picture and inky-black blissful nothingness with loved ones all around?\n\n2) Since death is the absence of my consciousness, I've come to realize that when I die, nothing is really lost at all. Every thought that I ever had, or will have, or would have had, will be thought by someone else, somewhere, someday. Sure- not all in the same person, or even in the same century... \n\nI guess it's just an awareness that I am to humanity as a red blood cell is to me. The cell can die, but it is such a small thing compared to the whole. Does the red blood cell feel bad about being dead? Of course not. Is there any real loss? Of course not. Another one will be along in a moment. Even if the red blood cell could feel the fear of death... what would I say to calm it?:\n\nMy dear, dear blood cell, have no fear! From this perspective, I can assure you that your passing means nothing! Everything you strive to do, all your greatest hopes and desires- all the cells that you were going to oxygenate- they'll all be fine without you. And you won't even know you're gone!\n\n3) I'm pretty sure we're all imaginary anyway. Existence itself is preposterous! What created the big bang? What created the thing that created that? If everything is self-creating, what created the circumstances which allowed for self-creating things to come to being?! \n\nYou see, since the very idea that we exist is ridiculous, is consciousness even real, or just an elaborate illusion? Perhaps death is just waking up from some bizarre dream that someone else is having.", "score": 62 }, { "body": "The method of execution and actually being dead are two entirely different things. I can totally understand being afraid of *how* you die, but once it's over I doubt you'll have the capacity to comprehend what comes next.\n\nPerhaps it's the concept of \"nothingness\" that scares you? It's a great philosophical quandary to determine exactly what \"nothing\" is. Even if you have an empty box, there is still *something* in there. The idea of \"nothing\" can be rather scary if dwelled upon for too long. Our brains just aren't wired to grasp it.\n\nTo answer your questions: No, I do not fear death. I view death as a transition from one collection of energy to another. When I die, my atoms and molecules will disassemble and march off to make something else. I \"deal with it\" by taking solace in the fact that nothing is permanent. Change is a neutral, inevitable and necessary process, of which I have scarce control over. \n\nIf you spend too much time worrying about how things will turn out, you'll miss out on how things are unfolding now.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I like to imagine that, after my death, the universe will continue to expand for countless eons. Then it will contract for more eons resulting in the Big Crunch. At which time another universe much like this one will emerge from another Big Bang process, which will inevitably lead to another Me to ponder the questions of existence. The eons of time that I do not exist (as relates to consciousness) will be a mere Planck time in duration. It's like sleeping; you pass out and reawaken in what seems like an instant. I will \"reawaken\" in the next Universe when I become fully conscious of myself and the universe. \r\nP.S. - I would actually appreciate a correction of grammar.\r\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "It's actually takes a sense of maturity that majority of people never reach. It's like having a birthday in a few days and having the disipline to not sneak a peek at the present. It's accepted that the present will be unwrapped on the day it's supposed to.. and the surprises that are in the box will be enjoyed or be the cause of disapointment once the time is right. \n\nOne is wasting their time trying to figure out what they will get, and even if the person is certain of what they will get, it doesn't matter since they can't have it till the time is right. \n\nThat's why organized religion is anti-human.. \nIt's a huge catch-22... \nYou waste your time being alive out of fear of not getting what you want when your time arrives \n(like driving and talking on cell.. Not focused at the task at hand). An entire constuct of uncertainty and unwarranted \"faith\" that enforces a \"head in the clouds\" outlook on life.\n\n\nSince we are mortals (not meant to understand the \"supernatural & other god-like matters)\n and organized religion is very humanly flawed..\nJust accept that your time alive matters.. Not when you die\n\nIn other words, don't waste your life on that way of thinking.. You die... You rot .... That is all that is certain, that is all we are capable of understanding.\nleave the rest to the god/gods or Cthulhu.\n\n\n ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Another story - in Afghanistan, we operated out of a base along #river and very near #border. The base was surrounded by tremendous mountains, so we established observation posts on the tops. Closest one was 700 m in vertical elevation above us, and went up from there. We would contract with locals to use their donkeys to carry our heavy supplies up to the top. One day, these wo donkeys get into some hoofsticuffs on the top, donkey one kicks donkey two in teh head, and donkey two plummets several hundred meters down a jagged rocky mountain face. Didn't kill it though - we had to listen to it bray all night (command wouldn't let us out after dark to put it our if its misery).\r\n\r\nAnother day, the base got attacked with 107mm rockets. No shit, a donkey took a direct hit. I used to have pictures of what was left.", "score": 24 }, { "body": "Another story - when in Iraq, one of our missions was to help train the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC). We were trying to teach them how to enter and clear a room, and they just could not get it. Hours, and hours went into this. Finally - we got a shred of hope - we had taught them something that stuck. I've never seen a more heartfelt rendition of \"I'm a little teapot.\"", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I actually have no idea what a paratrooper does other than jump out of planes (you do jump out of planes, right?). What kind of unique work did you do that other soldiers werent trained to do? ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Once, I was carrying the platoon radio, so I stayed pretty much velcroed to the platoon leaders 4th point of contact. We were doing ex-evals (execution evaluations - big wigs and high ups come out and watch us play army to make sure we're doing it right). We're doing Bruckville (which to those who were never stationed at Ft. Bragg, is a live-fire village shooting range). We begin the assault, everything is going swimmingly. Everything continues to go well until we need to alert our base of fire element to adjust their targets. to do this, we need to launch a flare. My PL can't get the darn thing to fire, so he yells at me to take my helmet off and set it on the ground for him to hit it on. Okey dokey, sir. He hits it, rolls to the side, and almost kills the brigade commander with a green star cluster. Much cursing and a small fire later, we all laugh about it and give our PL shit about it for about ever.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Ever seen anybody sky-shark?\n\nDid you get a chance to jump with the new T-11 chutes?\n\nFavorite and least favorite aircraft to jump from?\n\nAlso, hello from Fay.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Same here. I liked what I saw from the plot, but I found the base gameplay mechanics boring--the fights were not fun. It simply consisted of shooting people and getting shot. You couldn't anticipate enemy attacks and evade them, and you couldn't take cover because you're too slow. Weapons were underwhelming. The machine gun felt like a bbgun, the chemical thrower was too weak, etc.\n\nIn the end, I couldn't bring myself to finish the game. Stopped some time after meeting that Dr Tennebaum or whatever she was called.", "score": 89 }, { "body": "After getting it on Steam I played about a few hours worth and while it started off a little slow for me, I found myself totally immersed into the environment and story line very quickly. This looks to be a great game to play on a rainy day. I love the music, the posters, the textures and everything else. It all feels great.", "score": 36 }, { "body": "For me, it was the setting that made it for me. I really liked the whole steampunk atmosphere, and I really enjoyed the story too. Its just different to anything else I've played before. The best bit is all the little details like the background music and hidden signs of the kind of society that was once there. Cannot wait for Bioshock 2.", "score": 22 }, { "body": "I was also pretty underwhelmed by Bioshock. I totally agree that the environment was great, and the storyline was pretty interesting. The gameplay just kind of bored me though. I find that I'm more and more drawn to fast twitch, simple shooters these days. L4D, MW2, Halo3, etc.... I just don't have the big chunks of time to get engrossed in story games. I tried to play DragonAge and totally failed, despite actually thinking it's pretty great.", "score": 11 }, { "body": "I thought I was the only one. Every time you had to clear an area, then backtrack through it and there were \"new enemies\" there I wanted to just turn it off.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "No, you aren't alone. As a big fan of the FPS/RPG genre, Bioshock being hailed as a great one turned my stomach. If you look at it as an on-rails shooter with a somewhat unique environment that can be fun, if forgettable, I would agree. If you try to pretend that it has any depth to it you stop making sense. Not only is the depth lacking gameplay-wise in comparison to the elder FPS/RPGs, but the level design, while beautiful, is rather linear, with the path rarely diverging in significant ways, and usually with a set of goals that must be done in order. Most every obstacle is made to be overcome in a single way, which for the most part happens to be shooting. Since there is little gameplay depth, the choices are all superficial and there's no need for specializing. Compare this to SS2 where your skill set has a huge impact on how you can approach a challenge, in Bioshock you can hack anything, shoot everything and carry it all too. In the end the player's decisions have zero real impact on the story or how they play the game. The plasmids offer a few shallow choices for customization, weapon upgrades are easy enough that you only really pick and choose for your first few, and the only \"choice\" is to kill or help the little sisters, which changes jack shit. In other words, I cant help but to see the game as shallow and forgettable. \n\nI generally consider Bioshock as a gamer litmus test. If you thought it was an awesome FPS/RPG, you aren't very 'hardcore.' ", "score": 8 }, { "body": "I'm going to tell you why I liked the game. The plot. It's probably got one of the best plots of any game the past 5 years, alongside HL2 and many other greats.\n\nAside from the elegant story-telling and beautiful environment, the diaries that are scattered around Rapture give some real depth to the whole situation. You feel like you're exploring a real underwater city, and unraveling a giant mystery (Even if the actual maps are rather *ahem* on the petite side). The posters that fill the walls, the bodies that are scattered around, and all those little details really come together to give an epic ambiance. \n\nThe shooting itself isn't bad, but it's not jizztastic either. You get guns, and you get plasmids (For those who haven't played, they're like magic powers, i.e. you get to light things on fire, freeze them, etc.), and on top of it all there's the great choice you have to make in the game. Do you harvest the little sisters for your personal gain, and to make the game easier, or do you sacrifice your Adam to save the children? \n\nAll in all, it may not be the best shooter based on gameplay alone, but it's in the top 3 for environment, storytelling, and immersion.\n\nExcuse my shitty paragraph forming, I haven't slept in 58 hours ;(", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I am not a huge gamer, but I bought Bioshock. My thoughts? The plot and game itself scared the crap out of me. I thought the game was very clever, but man were there a lot of buttons and controls to keep track of. Maybe if I was 20 years younger I could remember all of them, but alas, I am old.", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "Plug it in\n\nApplications > Utilities > [Disk Utility](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_Utility),\n\nThen do something along [these lines](http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/partitioning_tiger.html)\n\nI recommend partitioning it with at least a smallish partition of FAT32 format - that way if you need to use it to move files to a non-mac you can.\n\n", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Most likely it would've been formatted with FAT32 or NTFS. For FAT32, leopard should be able to read/write to it natively; but for NTFS, you can download and install [NTFS3G](http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/) to enable write support for NTFS volumes. You can download it [here](http://sourceforge.net/projects/catacombae/files/NTFS-3G%20for%20Mac%20OS%20X/2009.11.14/ntfs-3g-2009.11.14-macosx.dmg/download). The bundled softwares are included in the drive are most likely just some drive utilities that aren't that needed. In fact, for my WD MyBook 1TB external drive, I wiped out all the partition, formatted again, and deleted the included software, so that I ended up with a 1TB volume instead of 2x500GB that was originally made.\n\nTry it out. It should be ok :)", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "*Fear and Trembling* will be the most popular recommendation for sure. But I also enjoyed *Sickness unto Death*, probably even more. Here's one of my favorite quotes from it:\n\n>Yes, what we call worldliness simply consists of such people who, if one may so express it, pawn themselves to the world. They use their abilities, amass wealth, carry out enterprises, make prudent calculations, and the like, and perhaps are mentioned in history, but they are not authentic selves. They are copies. In a spiritual sense they have no self, no self for whose sake they could venture everything, no self for God, however self-consumed they are otherwise.\n\nOne word of caution though. Kierkegaard has never really been known for being a clear writer. I find a lot of his works drifting and confusing, even though I generally enjoy them. Some of his stuff really requires a lot of patience.", "score": 14 }, { "body": "Kierkegaard is pretty underrated imo. He and Nietzsche diagnosed many of the same sicknesses, but reacted in opposite ways. Just as the religious find many resources in Nietzsche, so too can the non-religious find much in Kierkegaard. Both of their personal lives are equally interesting as well. ", "score": 14 }, { "body": "I agree with everyone else's suggestions. Keirkegaard is my favorite philosopher, and I completely agree that he stands up. \n\nIf you decide to go with Fear and Trembling, I recommend you download and listen to Hubert Dreyfus's existentialism lectures from UC Berkeley. You can find them on iTunes. They are informative and entertaining. Dreyfus is awesome. ", "score": 11 }, { "body": "Start with _Either-Or_, then perhaps _The Sickness Unto Death_, or _Fear and Trembling_. If you're interested in his religious stuff, try _Works of Love_. Work your way up to _The Concept of Anxiety_.\n\nKierkegaard stands quite well, except for the privileging of the religious, IMO. However, his religious can also be taken in an atheistic sense, so it's not that bad.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I think he's one of the best philosophy writers that ever existed. Some pages will leave you breathless. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Kierkegaard is the reason I majored in philosophy. I was originally a physics major, but an unhappy one. I took a phil intro course, and was blown away by *Fear and Trembling*. When he talks about an individual relationship to the absolute necessarily being higher than universal truth, I get goosebumps, because there is something about the argument that simultaneously makes no sense and yet is inescapably true. It reminds me, in a foreshadowy kind of way, of Godels' Incompleteness Theorem and the idea that there will be truth's that can't be proven.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Pick up the [new Walsh translation](http://www.amazon.com/Kierkegaard-Trembling-Cambridge-History-Philosophy/dp/0521612691/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262378130&sr=8-1) of Fear and Trembling, and read the fantastic foreword by Evans to get a feel for where it fits into Kierkegaard's larger body of writings. (I've just finished the foreword myself and am beginning to reread F&T.) Whether or not Kierkegaard's specific ideas stand the test of time, you can't ignore his influence on existential philosophy.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The thing about Kierkegaard is that he writes under psudonyms and it's hard to tell what's Kierkegaard and what's the view of the assumed character under which he's writing (or so I was told in my existentialism class). Fear and Trembling is probably a good place to start. Somewhere along the lines you'll want to read a biography because his personal narrative figures heavily into his views.\n", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Does it annoy anyone else that you can show a man being torn apart by bullets in a PG13 but if you show a nipple it has to be rated higher? Kids can see violence but not sexuality cause that might mess them up.", "score": 58 }, { "body": "I think that full view of a woman's genitals (showing labia, vagina, clitoris) is just as rare as seeing a man's genitals in film. ", "score": 26 }, { "body": "I don't care about individual movies, but it gets on my nerves when a movie like Forgetting Sarah Marshall *does* show male frontal nudity and every guy who watches it has to object strenuously because otherwise maybe someone would think he's gay for having seen a dick, as if there aren't any in porn...", "score": 17 }, { "body": "I think full frontal male tends to get an X rating where as female doesn't. You should watch \"This Film Is Not Yet Rated\". It's a documentary about the MPAA. Sounds boring, but it's really funny.", "score": 14 }, { "body": "In my mind, the movies don't show all that much female full frontal. For me it's not full frontal unless you see pubes, or.... I don't really know how else to say this:vaginal crack. The F/F scene with Angelina Jolie in Beowulf was a prime example of this:she had a thin veneer of the gold stuff over her lady bits AND you didn't actually see nipple.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "I've been thinking it's unfair *for years* and I'm not referring to just full-frontal nudity when it comes to women in movies. If an actress shows her breasts, then an actor should show his dick.\n\nIt's a huge double-standard that's gone on far too long, although there's more full male frontal nudity now than there used to be.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "What you haven't seen Eastern Promises. ;)\n\nActually I don't need to see a guy naked in film. The U.S. market probably doesn't demand it.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Sexual mores are different around the world. I remember from my younger days as a safe-sex peer educator, we found out that Canada (I think it was Canada) considered even drawings of erect penises to be obscene which made it rather hard for condom makers to include instructions. ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "In all honesty I'd be fine with neither. What's the point? It's not porn, so stop trying to arouse me. They're not even really having sex anyway.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "1. Yes, I think men should be given equal exposure on film too!!(sounds like something out of r/mensrights doesn't it)\n\n2. On the other hand, Jason in Forgetting Sarah Marshall was .... nice. It was not as bad as I thought it would be, but can't scrub that image out of my mind. \n*Goes to watch cute kitties*", "score": 3 }, { "body": "It's been changing slightly in the recent past, but still in the solely in the sense of comedies (\"Oh man I just showed you a penis in my movie. I'm SO CRASS.\").\n\nHopefully it changes soon enough. I hate overdone nudity (Namely, when it's clearly just done to draw an audience), but I would like for directors/screenwriters/whoever to feel like they can do anything they want in their film to create their vision. \n\n", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I would advise against buying anything in Detroit proper. With the decline in the auto industry, housing prices in Detroit are unlikely to see a big rebound. Before the economic crisis, residents were leaving the city in droves due to the high taxes. You would be better off looking at foreclosures or short sales in the surrounding suburbs for better resale value, better public services for your tax dollars, and less crime. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "DHT is likely maxing out the connecting tracking tables on your router. Existing connections will continue to work, but new ones will fail.\n\nThe easiest fix is to turn of DHT if you don't need it.\n\nhttp://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Router_Slowdown\n\nhas a good explanation of the problem.", "score": 15 }, { "body": "Throttle back your upload speed.\n\nSounds like the queue on the upload side of your modem is filling up and delaying everything. I can't remember how to explain this exactly but throttling back your uploading will help.\n\nTry setting the upload limit to 80% of what its uploading at now. So if its uploading at 80Kb/s set the limit to 60.\n\nThis can also help your download speed and reduce lag when online gaming.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Bittorrent is a notorious protocol for maxing out the number of connections that a network can support. It could be your machine, your router, or your ISP. A further issue (i.e in addition to the number of connections) is the actual throughput your network can support. If you are seeding a popular torrent or have a bunch queued up then you can easily max this out.\n\nTry adjusting your BT client's allowed connections and bandwidth settings. See if that makes a difference.\n\nIncidentally, there is a new version of the BT protocol in Beta that attempts to address many of these network sociability issues.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Try a traceroute (tracert) on your machines and try to see where the ping is being dropped. Can you tracert successfully in your lan from one machine to the other while you are getting timeouts? To the internet? Find a close ISP router/DNS server.\n\nMaybe it is at your router as some of these posts suggest.\n\nIs just ICMP affected? Because the bittorrent protocol doesn't need it to work.\n\nTry configuring uTorrent to only send out encrypted connections, maybe on a known port like 22/443 that your ISP will probably not filter for bittorrent (just in case they are doing some sort of traffic shapping).", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "You should get an alarm system set up with a camera outside that has motion detection and uploads info (or a sign that says you have that). They probably think you are stashing money in your home, or they want to rape you. ", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I have a curtis GPD359, I bought it at Canadian Tire for 50$. It too has a ARM processor and I too tried to get Linux on it.\n\nBypassing the proprietary user GUI involved only putting an empty file with a specific filename on a SD card and reboot the device. From there I could get to Windows CE. That information was easily found on the web ..\n\nThe next step would have been to cross compile a Linux kernel on my workstation but using the ARM architecture. Then make the SD card bootable and boot and install that custom Linux kernel from it.\n\nI gave up because it involved going through all the kernel modules and disable/enable them as needed, which is not really my cup of tea. I didn't know all the specific drivers I would need nor I was sure about those that were not needed and I did not have much spare times.\n\nHope it might help.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "I omitted to mention that this is the size of a TomTom, has a color touch screen, stylus, decent speaker, headphone out, micro SD slot, USB port and (of course) GPS. The existing software has a music player, eBook reader, photo viewer, video player etc etc. They must be inexpensive if they're being given away as free gifts. This would be so cool to hack on... :)", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "When wireframing, I put most things into a 960px or 970px grid. Seems like this makes around 80% of internet citizens happy. http://browsersize.googlelabs.com/", "score": 44 }, { "body": "1024x768 but I try and design the background area for 1280 and larger so the bigger screens don't seem empty.", "score": 13 }, { "body": "It's less about screen resolution, and more about viewable area, since sidebars and such encroach.\n\nI did a survey on this some time ago. See here:\n\nhttp://gadgetopia.com/post/4439", "score": 6 }, { "body": "it really depends on your target audience. i usually go for 960px width, that means it will fit into 1024's viewport, most better netbooks and older computers. you can forget about the height, because it depends on the users viewport, number of toolbars, if the user has the startbar on top/bottom or left/right side of the screen etc. just keep in mind that your upper 300-400px are your most important real-estate on the screen where your users expect to find your logo, navigation, rss icon and maybe a search box.\nyou might consider a 2nd version of your site for small screen devices such iphones if it makes sense to use your site 'on the go' (restaurant guides, movie times for a city etc.)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "1024x768 - work makes me conform\n\n1280x1024 - when deciding for myself\n\n7680x1200 - when I'm the only one that's going to see it", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I think you are like one of those people (like myself), who likes to do everything but can only do one thing at a time and then move on to the next.\n\nFor example, you may be \"very motivated\" to just work hard and kick ass. Couple months, weeks, days later, you are fed up. But you gave in like %110 into your work. You can say, you kicked ass!\n\nNow, it's gaming time. Time to relax. You gather all your games. It doesn't matter what you play, but eventually you just game, and game, and GAME. You remember nostalgic feelings of adventuring, and pondering what the fuck to do. Then one day, you are just burnt. You don't want to game anymore.\n\nNow you just don't want to do anything.\n\nFrom there, all I can think of is just relax a bit more. Take a chill pill, find yourself, and you will either rotate back to: Working and Kicking Ass, or Gaming.", "score": 59 }, { "body": "This has happened to me before. For example with L4D, I felt so sick of doing the same stuff over and over again. Luckily Zombieland came out about 2 weeks after I realized this. Right after seeing it I wanted to kill zombies again.\n\nSo try watching a fantasy movie (LOTOR perhaps?) for morrowind, and maybe a WW2/Revolutionary War movie?", "score": 10 }, { "body": "I did this with Fallout 3. I have 94 hours logged in it on two characters. I completed every sidequest and mapped every building. And then one day, as I was walking through some cave, I realized--why am I doing this? I've seen this walls a thousand times, killed ten thousand of these same feral ghouls. \n\nI still think of the game from time to time, maybe eventually I'll reinstall it and see if any great new mods have come out, but I haven't really looked back from that day. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Just burning yourself out. Quite easy to do, I find if I go that hardcore on things right at the start like this, then I usually get over it. Most of the time after some time off it, you may come back to and go 'my God, why did I stop playing this!?'", "score": 6 }, { "body": "You are probably motivated by the challenge of new experiences. Every PVE game becomes predictable eventually. Once the onslaught of novelty stops, it's just another tedious task.\n\nIt's probably a safe bet to assume the majority of Redditors have conditioned themselves to be addicted to novelty.\n\nPlay games against human beings. The more complexity allowed, the more creative groups of players will become in their pursuit to overcome outsiders. ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "This happens to me, and think it is fantastic. I've had friends lose their lives to video games WoW, Diablo, Final Fantasy.. hour after hour grinding away. I have a built in kill switch. I save megabucks by getting my fill from a game out of the demo.\n", "score": 5 }, { "body": "This is probably why I actually play so few games to completion. I burn out and forget about them, then a new game comes out and the cycle continues. I recycle old games when I reminisce how fun they are/were, but on the whole I beat very few games nowadays.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "That's the problem I usually run into in RPGs. I'm interested the first few hours of playing. I get into story and the world and all that.\r\n\r\nBut, after a while, all I see are the numbers; it's just a game where I kill creatures to increase variables with impunity while doing one of three quests:\r\n\r\n* Fetch this for me\r\n* Kill that\r\n* Visit this guy so you can do one of the two actions above\r\n\r\nAnd half of it is at the mercy of a random number generator. It's about at that point that I just don't want to play it anymore.", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "right now is a great time to ask for a reduction in rent. do a quick search on craigslist to see what similar apartments are renting at and tell your landlord what you've seen, assuming it's less. don't expect a significant deduction, but you may be able to negotiate at least a $100 deduction per month.\nyou should have already received a new lease, though. most landlords are anxious to have tenants re-sign. you should call, but only after seeing what else is out there. ", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Check this, but if you haven't negotiated a new lease by now I think you're automatically month-to-month. If you're a good tenant, definitely try asking for a reduction -- no one wants to try to find a new tenant in the middle of the winter.", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "I was walking past a small campground with cabins when I needed to take a leak. I walked up to a cabin, planning on pissing on the ground beside it when I noticed that the window was open. I decided to rainbow my stream in the window, and apparently pissed all over some poor guy who was sleeping inside. He woke up and I ran like hell. Yes, I'm a gigantic asshole when I'm drunk.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I ate a whole bowl of potpouri chips. I did have the presence of mind to dip them in ranch dressing though.", "score": 3 } ]